THE  EANCHE 
ON  THE  OXHIDE 


HENRY  INMAN 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

O 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


OF  THE  NATIONAL  COUXC1L 

TOE  HON.  WOODROW    WILSON  Vio.Po.ldrM.   MII.TON  A 

dMl.  HON.   WILLIAM   II.   TAKT  VtaTpIHid^!'    FAL-'DsStV     Ma't 

ci"t  Seoul."  ERMrtT  THOMPSON   SETON,"c™awiok,  CwMetlcM 
««<•««  sip-Owou-i....  OANUX  CARTEB  BEABO.   IU**  »- 

NATIONAL    nEADQUAJJTERS 

BOY  SCOUTS  OF  AMERICA 

FINANCE  COMMITTEE          TUE   FIFTH   AVHNUE   BUILQCNG,    SOU    FIFTH    AVK.NUE        C«>BC«   O.   MUTT 

^  NEW    "SfDKK    CITY 


AOOITIONAL 


LM  f.  lUn'mn  »r.    LUrlc.  pI"r»Jai  Moriim«r  I_  Scbiff 

Jobs  Sherman   Hori  Ceor,.   D.   Pan*  Lonllutf  Spnen 

ttwt»  C  JwkMB  f  ,»i  Pmbny  S«b  «pn|Uf  T«nj 

July  31st,  1913* 

TO  THE  PUBLIC  :- 

In  the  execution  of  its  purpose  to  give  educational  value  and 
moral  worth  to  the  recreational  activities  of  the  boyhood  of  America, 
the  leaders  of  the  Boy  Scout  Movement  quickly  learned  that  to  effectively 
carry  out  its  program,  the  boy  oust  be  influenced  not  only  in  his  out* 
of  -door  life  but  also  in  the  diversions  of  his  other  leisure  moments. 
It  is  at  such  times  that  the  troy  is  captured  by  the  tales  of  daring 
enterprises  and  adventurous  good  times.  What  now  is  needful  is  not 
that  his  taste  should  be  thwarted  but  trained.  There  should  constantly 
be  present  ed'Ho^  him  the  books  .the  boy  likes  best,  yet  always  the  booke 
that  will  be  best  for  the  boy.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  boy's 
taste  is  being  constantly  vitiated  and  exploited  by  the  great  mass  of 
«heap  Juvenile  literature* 

To  help  apatlously  concerned  parents  and  educators  to  meet  this 
grave  pepll,  tb^T  Library  Commission  of  the  Boy  Scouts  of  America  has 
been  organized.  EVERY  BOY'S  LIBRARY  is  the  result  of  their  labors. 
All  -"the  books  chosen  have  been  approved  by  them.  The  Commission  is 
composed  of  the  following  members:  George  F.  Bowerman,  Librarian,  Public 
Library  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  Washington,  D.  C.  ;  Harrison  W. 
Graver,  Librarian,  Carnegie  Library  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  ;  Claude  G.  Lelantf* 
Superintendent,  Bureau  of  Libraries,  Board  of  Education,  Hew  York  City; 

**DO  A  GOOD  TURN  DAILY."  <OVHtt> 


Edward  P.  Steven^^Librarian,  Pratt  Institute  Free  Library,  Brooklyn, 
Hew  York;  together  withvthe  Editorial  Board  of  our  Movement  William 
D.  Murray  George  D.  Pratt  and  frank  Presbrey,  with  Franklin  K.  Mathiews, 
Chief  Scout  Librarian,  as  Secretary. 

In  selecting  'tho  books,  the  Commission  has  chosen  only  such  as 
ere  Of  interest  to  boys,  the  first  twenty-five  being  either  works  of 
fiction  or  stirring  stories  of  adventurous  experiences.  In  later  lists, 
tooks  of  a  more  serious  sort  will  be  included.  It  is  hoped  that  as 
many  as  twenty-* ive  may  be  added  tp  the  Library  each  year. 

Thanks  are  due  the  several  pulNJUshers  who  have  helped  to 
Inaugurate  this  new  department  of  our  worfc.  Without  their  co-operation 
in  making  available  fo-T  popular  priced  editions  some  of  the  best  books 
ever  published  for  boys,  the  promotion  of  EVERY  BOY'S  LIBRARY  would. 
have  been  impossible. 

We  wish,  too*  to  express  our  heartiest  gratitude  to  the  Library 
Commission,  who,  wittoout  compensation,  have  placed  their  vast  experience 
end  immense  resources, jat  the  service  of  our  Movement. 

The  Commission  invites  suggestions  as  to  future  books  to  be 
included  in  the  Library.  Librarians,  teachers,  parents,  and  all  others 
interested  in  welfare  work  for  boys,  can  reader  a  unique  service  by 
forwarding  to  National  Headquarters  lists  of  sue.))  books  as  in  their 

Judgment  would  be  gui table  tor  EVERY  BOY'S  LIBRARY* 

Signed 


Chief  Scout  Executive. 


THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 


1  'The  most  indescribable  antics  were  gone  through." 
e  290.  Frontispiece. 


EVERY  BOY'S  LIBRARY-BOY  SCOUT  EDITION 

THE  RANCHE  ON 
THE  OXHIDE 

A  Story  of  Boys'  and  Girls'  Life 
on  the  Frontier 


BY 

HENRY  INMAN  \« 

LATE  CAPTALM  UNITED  STATES  ARMY         r>  OiQ 
BREVET  LIEUTENANT  COLONEL 


AUTHOR  OF 
THE  OLD  SANTA  FE  TRAIL 


Illustrated   by 

Charles  Bradford  Hudson 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET    &    DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 

(Macmillan's  Standard  Library) 


COPYRIGHT,  1898, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.    Published  July,  1898.    Reprinted 
December,  1905;  December,  1908  ;  October,  1909;  June,  1911. 
New  edition  September,  1906 ;  August,  September,  1911 ;  March, 
June,  1912  ;  July,  1913. 


Nortoooli 

J.  8.  Gushing  &  Co.  — Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


do 


GEORGE  INMAN  SEITZ 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

TAKING  UP  A  "CLAIM"  IN  KANSAS — THE  TRAIL  FROM  LEAVEN- 
WORTH  ANIMALS    SEEN     EN     ROUTE  —  PRAIRIE    CHICKENS  — 

BUILDING     THE     CABIN — THE     COSY     SITTING-ROOM ANIMALS 

FOUND     IN     THE     TIMBER    AND    ON    THE    PRAIRIE  —  WHY    THE 
CREEK    WAS    NAMED    "  OXHIDE "    ....         Page    I 

CHAPTER  II 

THE   HOUSE   IS    FINISHED — BUILDING    CORRALS — THE    HOUNDS  — 
THEIR    FIGHT    WITH   A    LYNX  —  ITS    HIDE    GIVEN    TO    GERTRUDE 

THE  IMMENSE  HERD  OF    BUFFALO CAPTURE   FOUR    CALVES 

GET    THEIR     PONIES    IN     A     STRANGE     MANNER  —  BREAKING 

THEM Page  13 

CHAPTER  III 

THE    BOYS    GO    FISHING    FOR    THE    FIRST    TIME  —  AN    IDEA  SUD- 
DENLY  STRIKES   ROB ROB*S  QUEST   AND   LUCK THE   ISLAND 

OF  WILLOWS  —  ROB'S   BIG  CAT JOE*S  TUSSLE  WITH  A  PANTHER 

CUB KILLS     HIM — IS   WOUNDED SKINS    THE    ANIMAL,   AND 

GETS   HOME   AT   LAST GIVES    THE     BEAUTIFUL    ROBE    TO     HIS 

MOTHER Page  29 

CHAPTER  IV 

BOY  AND   GIRL    LIFE    AT    ERROLSTRATH    RANCHE THEIR    PETS  — 

THE    GIRLS   ENCOUNTER    A    BIG    PRAIRIE    WOLF  —  JOE    TO     THE 
RESCUE DEATH   OF  THE   FEROCIOUS   BEAST   .  .      Page   48 


viii  CONTENTS 

l  ; 

CHAPTER  V 

THE   FRIENDLY  PAWNEES  CAMP  ON   THE   OXHIDE  —  OLD   "YELLOW 
CALF,"   THE  CHIEF — JOE    IS    NAMED   "THE   WHITE   PANTHER" 

JOE     GOES    HUNTING    WITH    THE    BAND HE    LEARNS    THE 

LANGUAGE — HUNTING  WITH  THE   BOYS  OF  THE  TRIBE     . 

Page  62 
CHAPTER  VI 

THE   STORY  OF  THE   MASSACRE  ON  SPILLMAN  CREEK  —  SCOUTS  GO 

TO    THE     RESCUE JOE    AND    ROB    TALK    OVER    THE    HORRID 

WORK     OF     THE     SAVAGES THE     DOG     SOLDIERS CHARLEY 

BENT  —  PLACE    OF    RENDEZVOUS PARTY   STARTS    OUT JOE'S 

OPINION  is  ASKED Page  71 


CHAPTER  VII 

ARRIVAL    OF    CAVALRY    ON     THE     ELKHORN  —  A     DEER     HUNT  — 
WHAT    THE     SCOUTS     SAW — THE    STORY   OF    THE  TWO  LITTLE 

GIRLS  —  THE     DEAD     AND    WOUNDED MEN    HIDDEN    IN    THE 

BRUSH  —  AN  INDIAN    LEGEND ARRIVAL  OF  THE  INFANTRY 

THE  DEER   HUNT   IN   THE    MORNING  —  DEATH    OF    THE    DEER. 

Page  98 
CHAPTER  VIII 

MR.  TUCKER  PASSES  THE  NIGHT  AT  ERROLSTRATH  — HE  TELLS  SOME 

STORIES  OF    HUNTING   BIG   GAME  IN   THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS 

SAGACITY   OF   THE    FEMALE   BIGHORN THE   AMERICAN   COUGAR 

THE   BEAR  AND  THE   PANTHER THE   RABBIT   HUNT HOW 

THE   BOYS  TRAINED  THEIR  HOUNDS  .  .  .   Page  Il8 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    IX 

INDIAN  RAIDS  —  KATE  IS  MISSING  —  "  BUFFALO  BILL'S  "  OPINION  — 
"BUFFALO  BILL"  FINDS  HER  LITTLE  BASKET  —  THE  SOLDIERS 
RETURN  TO  THE  FORT  WITHOUT  FINDING  HER  —  GRIEF  OF  THE 
FAMILY Page  137 

CHAPTER  X 

HOW  KATE  WAS  CAPTURED  BY  THE  INDIANS — THE  BAND  RIDE 
RAPIDLY  SOUTHWARD  —  AT  THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE  —  HER  DE- 
TERMINATION TO  ESCAPE  —  TEACHES  THE  SQUAWS  —  IS 
TREATED  KINDLY Page  147 

CHAPTER  XI 

THANKSGIVING  DAY  AT  ERROLSTRATH — KATE'S  RETURN  —  CUS- 
TER'S  BATTLE  WITH  "  BLACK  KETTLE "  —  KATE  TELLS  HER 
STORY  —  THE  ORIGIN  OF  INDIAN  CORN  —  A  WOLF  HUNT  WITH 
GENERAL  CUSTER A  WOLF  STORY  BY  THE  COLONEL  . 

Page  156 
CHAPTER  XII 

A  WOLF  HUNT  —  TWO  SNAKE  STORIES  —  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  WITH 
A  MOUNTAIN  WOLF  —  A  MAIL  RIDER  EATEN  —  THE  OLD  TRAP- 
PER'S  EXPERIENCE  WITH  FOUR  OF  THE  FIERCE  BEASTS  . 

Page  193 
CHAPTER  XIII 

JOE,  ROB,  AND  THE  OLD  TRAPPER — GENERAL  CUSTER  ARRIVES  AT 
THE  RENDEZVOUS — THE  WOLF  DENS  —  FIRST  TUSSLE  BETWEEN 
THE  HOUNDS  AND  A  WOLF — CINCH'S  GREAT  BATTLE  . 

Page  211 


THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 


CHAPTER  I 

TAKING  UP  A  "CLAIM"  IN  KANSAS — THE  TRAIL  FROM  LEAVEN- 
WORTH ANIMALS    SEEN     EN     ROUTE  —  PRAIRIE    CHICKENS  — 

BUILDING  THE  CABIN — THE  COSY  SITTING-ROOM — ANIMALS 
FOUND  IN  THE  TIMBER  AND  ON  THE  PRAIRIE  —  WHY  THE 
CREEK  WAS  NAMED  "  OXHIDE  " 

IN  1865-66,  immigrants  began  to  rush  into 
the  new  state  of  Kansas  which  had  just  been 
admitted  into  the  Union.  A  large  majority 
of  the  early  settlers  were  old  soldiers  who  had 
served  faithfully  during  the  war  for  the  preser- 
vation of  their  country.  To  these  veterans  the 
Government,  by  Act  of  Congress,  made  cer- 
tain concessions,  whereby  they  could  take  up 
"  claims "  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  the 
public  land  under  easier  regulations  than  other 
citizens  who  had  not  helped  their  country  in 
the  hour  of  her  extreme  danger. 


2          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Many  of  them,  however,  were  forced  to  go 
out  on  the  extreme  frontier,  as  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  state  was  already  well  settled.  On 
the  remote  border  several  tribes  of  Indians, 
notably  the  Cheyennes,  Kiowas,  Comanches, 
and  Arapahoes,  still  held  almost  undisputed 
possession,  and  they  were  violently  opposed  to 
the  white  man's  encroachment  upon  their  an- 
cestral hunting-grounds,  from  which  he  drove 
away  the  big  game  upon  which  they  depended 
for  the  subsistence  of  themselves  and  their  fami- 
lies. Consequently,  these  savages  became  very 
hostile  as  they  witnessed,  day  after  day,  the  ar- 
rival of  hundreds  of  white  settlers  who  squatted 
on  the  best  land,  felled  the  trees  on  the  margin 
of  the  streams  to  build  their  log-cabins,  and 
ploughed  up  the  ground  to  plant  crops. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1866,  Robert  Thompson, 
a  veteran  of  one  of  the  Vermont  regiments,  hav- 
ing read  in  his  village  newspaper  such  glowing 
accounts  of  the  advantages  offered  by  Kansas 
to  the  immigrant,  decided  to  leave  his  ancestral 
homestead  among  the  barren  hills  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  and  take  up  a  claim  in  the  far 
West.  The  family,  consisting  of  father,  mother, 


TAKING  UP  A  "CLAIM"   IN  KANSAS  3 

Joseph,  Robert,  Gertrude,  and  Kate,  after  a  jour- 
ney by  railroad  and  steamboat  without  incident 
worth  recording,  arrived  at  Leavenworth  on  the 
Missouri  River,  the  general  rendezvous  in  those 
early  days  for  all  who  intended  to  cross  the  great 
plains,  through  which  a  railroad  was  then  an 
idle  dream.  In  that  rough,  but  busy  town,  Mr. 
Thompson  purchased  two  six-mule  teams,  two 
white-covered  wagons  called  "prairie  schoon- 
ers," together  with  sufficient  provisions  to  last  a 
month,  by  which  time  he  thought  he  should  find 
a  suitable  location  on  the  vast  plains  whither  he 
was  going. 

A  few  cooking-utensils  of  the  simplest  char- 
acter, together  with  a  double-barrelled  shot-gun 
and  a  Spencer  rifle,  constituted  the  entire  outfit 
necessary  for  their  lonely  trip  of  perhaps  three 
hundred  miles,  before  they  could  hope  to  find 
unoccupied  land  on  which  to  settle. 

One  Monday  morning,  bright  and  early,  the 
teams  pulled  out  of  the  town,  Mr.  Thompson 
driving  in  the  lead,  and  Joe,  who  was  the  elder 
of  the  boys,  in  the  other.  Gertrude  rode  with 
her  father  and  mother,  and  Kate  and  Rob  with 
their  brother  Joe.  Their  course  ran  over  the 


4          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

broad  trail  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  on  which 
were  then  hauled  by  government  caravans,  all 
the  supplies  for  the  military  posts  in  the  Indian 
country. 

Their  route  for  the  first  two  weeks  passed 
through  deep  forests  extending  for  a  long  dis- 
tance from  the  bank  of  the  great  river.  The 
whole  family  were  charmed  with  the  new  and 
strange  scenes  they  passed  as  they  rode  slowly 
on  day  after  day,  scenes  so  different  in  their 
details  from  those  to  which  they  had  been  used 
in  the  staid  old  region  they  had  left  so  far 
behind  them.  The  boys  and  girls,  particularly, 
were  in  a  constant  state  of  excitement.  They 
marvelled  at  the  immense  trees  as  they  passed 
through  groups  of  great  elms  and  giant  cotton- 
woods.  The  gnarled  trunks  were  vine-covered 
clear  to  their  topmost  branches  by  the  magnifi- 
cent Virginia  creeper,  or  woodbine,  as  it  is  called, 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  American  ivies,  and 
which  grows  in  its  greatest  luxuriance  west  of 
the  Missouri  River.  On  the  ends  of  the  huge 
limbs  of  the  lofty  trees  as  they  branched  over  the 
trail,  the  red  squirrels  sat,  peeping  saucily  at  the 
travellers  as  they  drove  under  them,  and  the  blue 


TAKING  UP  A  "CLAIM"  IN  KANSAS  5 

jay,  the  noisiest  of  birds,  screeched  as  he  darted 
like  lightning  through  the  dark  foliage.  The 
blue  jay  is  the  shark  of  the  air;  he  kills,  without 
any  discrimination,  all  the  young  fledglings  he 
can  find  in  their  nests  while  their  parents  are 
absent.  Although  his  plumage  is  magnificent  in 
its  cerulean  hue  as  the  sun  glints  upon  it,  and  he 
has  a  very  sweet  note  when  sitting  quietly  on  the 
limbs  of  the  oak,  which  he  loves,  yet  his  awful 
screaming  as  he  flies  —  and  he  is  ever  on  the 
wing  —  is  far  from  pleasant  to  ears  not  trained  to 
listen  to  his  harsh  voice. 

Occasionally  a  gaunt,  hungry  wolf — they  are 
always  hungry  —  would  skulk  out  of  the  timber 
and  then  run  across  the  trail,  with  his  tail  wrapped 
closely  between  his  legs.  He  would  just  show 
a  mouth  full  of  great  white  teeth  for  a  moment, 
as  he  sneaked  cowardly  off,  the  rattle  of  the 
wagons  having,  perhaps,  disturbed  his  slumbers 
on  some  ledge  of  rock  near  the  road. 

Prairie  chickens,  or  pinnated  grouse,  were  seen 
in  large  flocks  as  soon  as  the  open  country  was 
reached.  They  were  far  from  wild  in  those  days; 
you  could  approach  near  enough  always  to  get  a 
good  shot  at  them,  for  civilization  was  to  them 


6          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

almost  as  strange  an  experience  as  it  was  to 
those  beasts  and  birds  on  Robinson  Crusoe's 
island.  Joe  was  already  quite  proficient  with 
the  shot-gun,  and  he  often  handed  the  lines  to 
Rob,  and  stopping  the  team,  got  out  and  walked 
ahead  of  the  wagons  to  stalk  a  flock  of  the  beau- 
tiful game,  which  had  been  frightened  away  from 
their  feeding-ground  by  the  rattle  of  the  teams. 
For  a  long  time  grouse  was  a  part  of  every  meal 
until  the  party  became  really  tired  of  them.  Mrs. 
Thompson  was  a  famous  cook,  and  they  were 
served  up  in  a  variety  of  ways,  but  the  favorite 
style  of  all  the  family  was  to  have  them  broiled 
before  the  camp-fire  on  peeled  willow  twigs.  Rob 
always  regarded  it  as  part  of  his  duty  to  procure 
these  twigs,  as  he  was  the  handiest  with  a  jack- 
knife  or  hatchet. 

The  weeks  passed  pleasantly  for  the  children, 
but  the  old  folks  were  becoming  very  anxious  to 
settle  somewhere,  for  the  winter,  as  they  thought, 
would  soon  be  coming  on.  They  did  not  know 
then  that  that  season  in  Kansas  is  usually  short, 
and  that  the  three  or  four  months  preceding  it 
is  the  most  delightful  time  of  the  whole  year. 
So  after  travelling  nearly  two  months  on  the 


TAKING  UP  A  "CLAIM"   IN   KANSAS  J 

broad  trail  to  the  mountains,  examining  a  piece 
of  land  here  and  another  there,  they  camped 
early  one  afternoon  on  the  bank  of  Oxhide  Creek, 
in  what  is  now  Ellsworth  County,  and  so  delighted 
were  they  all  with  the  charming  spot,  that  they 
made  up  their  minds  to  seek  no  further. 

Their  "  claim,"  as  the  possession  of  the  public 
land  is  called,  included  a  beautiful  bend  of  the 
little  stream  which  flowed  through  the  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  to  which  they  were  entitled 
by  being  the  first  to  settle  on  it.  They  discov- 
ered in  the  very  centre  of  a  group  of  elms  and 
cottonwoods  a  large  spring  of  deliciously  cool 
water,  and  the  trees  which  hid  it  from  view  were 
more  than  a  century  old.  The  magnificent  pool 
for  untold  ages  had  evidently  been  a  favorite 
resort  of  the  antelope  and  buffalo,  if  one  could  so 
judge  from  the  quantity  of  the  bones  of  those 
animals  that  were  constantly  ploughed  up  near  by 
when  the  ground  was  cultivated.  No  doubt  that 
the  big  prairie  wolf  and  the  cowardly  little  coyote 
hidden  in  the  long  grass  and  underbrush  sur- 
rounding the  spring  got  many  a  kid  and  calf 
whose  incautious  mothers  had  strayed  from  the 
protection  of  the  herd  to  quench  their  thirst. 


8          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

The  beautiful  creek  flowed  at  the  base  of  a 
range  of  low,  rocky  hills,  while  two  miles  north- 
ward ran  a  magnificent  stretch  of  level  prairie, 
beyond  which  ran  the  Smoky  Hill  River. 

To  their  ranche,  as  all  homes  in  the  far  West 
are  called,  the  Thompsons  gave  the  name  of  Er- 
rolstrath.  It  had  no  special  significance ;  it  was 
so  called  merely  because  "  Strath "  in  Scotch 
means  a  valley  through  which  a  stream  meanders. 
It  comported  perfectly  with  the  situation  of  the 
place,  and  "  Errol "  was  added  as  a  prefix  for 
euphony's  sake.  In  this  picturesque  little  valley 
Mr.  Thompson,  with  the  assistance  of  his  boys, 
began  at  once  the  construction  of  a  rude  but 
comfortable  cabin,  fashioned  partly  out  of  logs 
and  partly  of  stone.  The  house  outside  gave  no 
hint  of  the  excellence  of  its  interior,  or  the  cosy 
rooms  which  a  refined  taste  and  culture  had  felt 
to  be  as  necessary  on  the  remote  frontier  as  in  the 
thickly  settled  East.  The  largest  division  of  the 
house  was  an  apartment  which  served  as  the  fam- 
ily sitting-room.  In  one  corner  of  this,  they  built 
diagonally  across  it,  after  the  Mexican  style,  an 
old-fashioned  fireplace,  patterned  like  one  in  the 
ancestral  homestead  in  Vermont.  Up  its  cavern- 


TAKING  UP  A  "CLAIM"  IN  KANSAS  9 

ous  throat  you  could  see  the  sky,  and  in  the 
summer,  when  the  full  moon  was  at  the  zenith, 
a  flood  of  bright  light  would  pour  down  on  the 
broad  hearth.  In  the  winter  evenings  the  family 
gathered  around  the  great  blazing  logs,  whose 
yellow  flames  roared  like  a  tornado  as  they  shot 
up  the  chimney.  The  mother  sewed,  the  girls 
were  engaged  with  their  studies,  and  the  boys 
either  listened  to  their  father  as  he  told  of  some 
experience  in  his  own  youthful  days,  played 
chess,  or  were  busied  with  some  other  intellectual 
amusement. 

This  large  room  was  also  furnished  with  a 
small  but  well-selected  library.  It  was  a  source 
of  much  pleasure  to  the  family,  as  the  country 
was  not  settled  up  very  rapidly,  and  the  members 
were  thrown  entirely  upon  their  own  resources 
for  amusements.  The  following  spring  and  sum- 
mer many  newcomers  arrived  and  took  up  the 
choicest  lands  in  the  vicinity,  until  there  were 
several  families  within  varying  distances  of  Errol- 
strath.  Some  were  only  three  miles  away,  others 
twelve,  but  in  that  region  then,  all  were  consid- 
ered neighbors,  no  matter  how  far  away. 

The  children  had  lots  of  fun,  for  the  rare  sport 


IO         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

differed  entirely  from  that  which  their  former 
home  in  the  old  East  had  furnished.  The  dense 
timber  which  grew  by  the  water  of  the  Oxhide 
like  a  fringe,  was  the  home  of  the  lynx,  errone- 
ously called  the  wild  cat,  squirrels,  badgers,  and 
coons.  The  wolf  and  the  little  coyote  had  their 
dens  in  the  great  ledges  of  rock  that  were  piled 
up  on  the  hilly  sides  of  the  valley.  The  great 
prairie  was  often  black  with  vast  herds  of  buf- 
falo, or  bison,  which  roamed  over  its  velvety 
area  at  certain  seasons.  The  timid  antelope,  too, 
graceful  as  a  flower,  and  gifted  with  a  wonderful 
curiosity,  could  be  seen  for  many  years  after  the 
Thompsons  had  settled  on  the  creek.  They 
moved  in  great  flocks,  frequently  numbering  a 
thousand  or  more,  but  now,  like  their  immense 
shaggy  congener,  the  buffalo,  through  the  wan- 
tonness of  man,  they  have  been  almost  annihi- 
lated. 

Joe  Thompson,  the  eldest  child,  about  fourteen, 
was  a  rare  boy,  strongly  built,  and  possessed  of 
a  mind  that  was  equal  to  his  well-developed 
body.  He  was  a  born  leader,  and  became  one 
of  the  most  prominent  men  on  the  frontier  when 
the  troublous  times  came  with  the  savages,  some 


TAKING  UP  A   "CLAIM"   IN  KANSAS  II 

years  after  the  family  had  settled  on  Oxhide 
Creek.  Robert,  the  second  son,  was  a  bright, 
active,  muscular  fellow,  two  years  younger  than 
Joe,  but  he  lacked  that  self-reliance,  energy, 
and  coolness  in  the  presence  of  danger  which 
so  strikingly  characterized  Joe.  Gertrude  and 
Kate  were  respectively  ten  and  seven  years  old, 
and  were  carefully  instructed  by  their  estimable 
mother  in  all  that  should  be  known  by  a  woman 
whose  life  was  destined,  perhaps,  to  the  isolation 
and  hardships  of  the  frontier.  They  were  both 
taught  to  cook  a  dinner,  ride  horseback,  handle 
a  pistol  if  necessary,  or  entertain  gracefully  in 
the  parlor.  To  employ  a  metaphor,  theirs  was 
a  versatility  which  "could  pick  up  a  needle  or 
rive  an  oak ! "  In  some  of  her  characteristics 
Gertrude  resembled  her  brother  Joe ;  she  was 
braver  and  cooler  under  trying  circumstances 
than  Kate,  who  was  more  like  Rob.  Both  were 
rare  specimens  of  noble  girlhood,  and  their  life 
on  the  ranche,  as  will  be  seen,  was  full  of  adven- 
ture and  thrilling  experiences. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  a  stream  should  be 
called  Oxhide,  but,  like  the  nomenclature  of  the 
Indians,  the  name  of  every  locality  out  on  the 


12         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

great  plains  is  based  upon  some  incident  con- 
nected with  the  scene  or  the  individual.  As 
this  is  a  true  story,  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  tell 
here  why  the  odd-sounding  name  was  given  to 
the  creek  on  which  the  Thompsons  had  settled. 
Some  years  before  the  country  was  sought  after 
by  emigrants,  the  only  travellers  through  it  were 
the  old-time  trappers,  who  caught  the  various 
fur-bearing  animals  on  the  margins  of  its  waters, 
and  the  miner  destined  for  far-off  Pike's  Peak 
or  California.  A  party  camping  there  one  day, 
on  their  way  to  the  Pacific  coast,  discovered  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  or  rather  their  desiccated  hides 
and  skeletons,  fastened  by  their  chains  to  a  tree, 
where  they  had  literally  starved  to  death.  It 
was  supposed  that  they  had  belonged  to  some 
travellers  like  themselves,  on  their  way  to  the 
mines,  who  had  been  surprised  and  murdered 
by  the  Indians.  The  savages  must  have  run 
off  the  moment  they  had  finished  their  bloody 
work,  without  ever  looking  for  or  finding  the 
poor  animals.  Thus  it  was  that  the  stream  was 
given  the  name  of  Oxhide,  which  it  bears  to 
this  day. 


CHAPTER  II 

IHE  HOUSE  IS  FINISHED  —  BUILDING  CORRALS  — THE  HOUNDS  — 
THEIR  FIGHT  WITH  A  LYNX  —  ITS  HIDE  GIVEN  TO  GERTRUDE 
—  THE  IMMENSE  HERD  OF  BUFFALO  —  CAPTURE  FOUR  CALVES 

GET    THEIR    PONIES    IN    A    STRANGE     MANNER  —  BREAKING 

THEM 

IT  was  quite  late  in  the  season,  towards  the 
end  of  October,  when  the  stone  and  log  cabin 
was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy.  The 
family  had  meanwhile  lived  in  their  big  tent 
which  they  had  brought  with  them  from  the  Mis- 
souri River.  They  had  carried  in  their  wagons 
bedding  and  blankets,  a  table  and  several  chairs, 
enough  to  suffice  until  the  arrival  of  their  other 
goods,  which  had  been  stored  at  Leavenworth 
while  they  were  hunting  for  a  location.  At  the 
end  of  two  months  after  their  settlement  on  the 
Oxhide,  a  freight  caravan  arrived  with  their 
things,  much  of  it  the  old-fashioned  furniture 
from  the  homestead  in  Vermont.  This  caravan 
was  en  route  to  Fort  Union,  New  Mexico,  the 

13 


14         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

trail  to  which  military  post  ran  along  the  bank 
of  the  Smoky  Hill  River,  not  more  than  two 
miles  from  the  ranche. 

Joe  and  Rob  were  constantly  busy  helping 
their  father  to  make  matters  snug  for  the  win- 
ter, building  a  corral  for  the  cows,  a  stone  stable 
for  the  horses,  and  a  chicken  house  for  the 
fowls,  of  which  they  had  more  than  a  hundred, 
Plymouth  rocks  and  white  leghorns,  the  best 
layers  in  the  world.  Up  to  that  time  they  had 
not  had  as  much  time  for  sport  as  they  wished 
for.  They  had  been  kept  too  busy,  until  long 
after  the  cold  weather  set  in,  when  all  the  streams 
were  frozen  over  and  the  woods  were  bare  and 
brown. 

A  near  neighbor  who  had  taken  a  fancy  to 
the  bright  lads  when  they  first  arrived  in  the 
country,  had  given  them  two  fine  greyhounds, 
which  they  named  Bluey  and  Brutus ;  the  former 
on  account  of  his  color,  and  the  other  because 
they  had  recently  been  interested  in  Shake- 
speare's play  of  "Julius  Caesar,"  which  their 
father  had  read  to  them.  With  these  magnifi- 
cent animals  they  had  lots  of  fun  during  the  long 
months  of  the  winter,  hunting  jack-rabbits,  dig- 


A  FIGHT  WITH   A  LYNX  15 

ging  coyotes  out  of  their  holes  in  the  ledge 
above  the  banks  of  the  creek,  or  fighting  lynxes 
and  coons  in  the  timber. 

One  bright  day  they  were  out  among  the  hills 
with  their  hounds,  which  had  run  far  in  advance 
of  their  young  masters,  when  suddenly  the  boys' 
ears  were  startled  by  a  terrible  commotion  in  a 
wooded  ravine  about  a  hundred  yards  ahead  of 
them.  The  dogs  were  barking  furiously,  some- 
times howling  in  pain,  and  they  could  see  the 
dust  flying  in  great  clouds.  In  a  few  moments 
all  was  still ;  the  turmoil  had  ceased,  a  truce  evi- 
dently having  been  patched  up  between  the  bel- 
ligerents. The  boys  hurried  on  and  presently 
came  to  a  sheltered  spot  where  the  timber  had 
been  apparently  blown  down  by  a  small  tornado 
many  years  before;  and  there  as  they  came  up 
to  it,  in  a  triangle  formed  by  the  trunks  of  three 
fallen  trees,  a  space  about  ten  feet  square,  they 
saw  the  hounds  holding  a  great  lynx  at  bay ! 
The  cat  was  standing  in  the  apex  of  the  trian- 
gle, crowding  her  body  as  closely  as  she  could 
against  the  timber  so  that  the  dogs  were  unable 
to  attack  her  without  getting  a  scratch  from  her 
sharp  claws.  Her  hair  was  all  bristling  up  with 


16  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

battle,  and  the  dogs  had  evidently  tried  several 
times  to  drive  her  out  of  her  almost  impregnable 
position,  but  each  attempt  had  ended  in  them- 
selves being  driven  back  discomfited.  As  soon 
as  the  hounds  saw  the  boys,  however,  their  cour- 
age rose,  and  Bluey,  the  oldest  dog,  at  an  en- 
couraging "  Sic  'em ! "  from  Joe,  made  a  sudden 
dash,  caught  the  ferocious  beast  by  the  middle 
of  the  back  and  commenced  to  shake  her  with 
the  awful  rapidity  for  which  he  was  noted,  and 
in  a  few  seconds  she  was  dropped  dead  at  Joe's 
feet. 

Bluey  first  became  famous  as  a  shaker  several 
months  before  his  encounter  with  the  lynx.  One 
morning  Rob  got  up  very  early  for  some  reason, 
and  went  into  the  chicken  house,  and  as  soon  as 
he  entered  it  he  saw  a  skunk  half  hidden  under 
one  of  the  beams  of  the  floor.  He  did  not  dare 
to  call  Bluey,  who  was  sleeping  on  a  pile  of  hay 
a  few  feet  away,  for  fear  the  animal  would  take 
the  alarm  and  run  off.  So  he  quietly  went  to 
where  the  dog  was,  and  lifting  him  bodily  in  his 
arms  carried  him  to  the  chicken  house  and  held 
his  nose  down  to  the  ground  so  that  he  could  see 
or  smell  the  skunk.  In  an  instant  that  skunk 


A  FIGHT  WITH  A  LYNX  17 

was  caught  up  by  the  neck  and  the  life  shaken 
out  of  him  before  he  could  have  possibly  realized 
what  was  the  matter  with  him. 

"  By  jolly ! "  said  Rob,  a  favorite  ejaculation 
with  him  when  he  was  excited,  as  he  saw  the  cat 
lying  perfectly  still  where  Bluey  had  dropped 
him.  "  I  say,  Joe,  what  a  set  of  teeth  and  a 
strong  neck  old  Bluey  must  have  to  shake  any- 
thing as  he  does !  Why,  if  he  could  take  up  a 
man  in  his  jaws,  the  fellow  would  stand  no  more 
chance  of  his  life  than  that  lynx ! " 

"  The  hound,"  replied  Joe,  "  has  a  strong  jaw 
and  a  powerful  neck;  but  he  lacks  the  intelli- 
gence of  some  other  breeds.  His  brain  is  not 
nearly  as  large  as  that  of  a  Newfoundland,  a  set- 
ter, pointer,  or  even  a  poodle.  Hounds  like 
Bluey  and  Brutus  run  by  sight  alone ;  they  have 
no  nose,  and  the  moment  they  cannot  see  their 
game  they  are  lost.  You  have  often  noticed 
that,  Rob,  when  a  rabbit  gets  away  from  them 
in  the  long  grass  or  in  the  corn  stalks.  They 
will  jump  up  and  down,  completely  bewildered 
until  they  catch  sight  of  the  animal  again.  Now, 
with  the  other  breed  of  hounds,  they  hunt  by 
scent;  the  moment  they  get  wind  of  anything 


1 8  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  .OXHIDE 

they  run  with  their  noses  close  to  the  ground 
and  commence  to  howl.  The  greyhound,  on  the 
contrary,  makes  no  noise  at  all." 

Joe  skinned  the  lynx,  assisted  by  Rob,  and 
after  throwing  the  carcass  in  the  ravine  where 
the  battle  had  been  fought,  slowly  walked  back 
to  the  ranche,  followed  by  the  dogs,  that  kept- 
close  to  their  heels,  tired  and  sore  from  the 
struggle  just  ended. 

"  Let  us  give  the  hide  to  Gert  after  we  tan  it, 
to  put  at  the  side  of  her  bed ;  you  know  she  is 
fond  of  such  things,"  said  Rob. 

"All  right,"  replied  Joe.  "We'll  do  it,  and 
if  we  have  good  luck  in  getting  other  animals, 
we'll  just  fill  her  room  with  skins.  Won't  that 
be  jolly?" 

Mr.  Thompson  had  but  two  teams  of  horses 
on  the  ranche,  and  they  could  not  often  be  spared 
from  work,  for  the  mere  amusement  of  the  boys. 
It  was  a  constant  source  of  regret  to  them  that 
they  did  not  have  ponies  of  their  own.  On  their 
way  home  the  oft-repeated  subject  came  up  again. 
Both  Joe  and  Rob  felt  keenly  that  they  were 
obliged  to  go  where  they  were  sent,  or  desired 
to  go  themselves,  on  foot.  How  to  obtain  the 


A  FIGHT  WITH   A   LYNX  1 9 

coveted  little  creatures  was  a  source  of  continual 
worry  to  them. 

"  I  do  wish  that  we  had  ponies,"  began  Rob 
for  the  hundredth  time,  "  so  that  we  could  go  any- 
where in  a  hurry ;  don't  you,  Joe  ?  " 

"  Father  would  buy  them  for  us  if  he  felt  that 
he  could  afford  it;  and  he  means  to  as  soon 
as  he  can  see  his  way  clear.  I  heard  him  tell 
mother  so,  several  times  when  she  wished  that 
we  had  'em,"  replied  Joe.  "  Maybe,"  continued 
he,  "some  band  of  friendly  Indians  will  come 
along  after  a  while ;  it's  nearly  time  for  the  Paw- 
nees to  start  out  on  their  annual  buffalo  hunt. 
When  they  come  up  here,  we  may  be  able  to 
trade  'em  out  of  a  real  nice  pair.  They  are 
always  eager  for  a  '  swap ' ;  so  old  man  Tucker 
told  me  the  other  day,  and  he  is  an  old  Indian 
trader  and  fighter.  He  has  lived  on  the  plains 
and  in  the  mountains  for  more  than  forty  years ; 
so  he  knows  what  he  is  talking  about." 

"  Golly !  couldn't  we  have  lots  of  fun,"  he 
continued,  "with  old  Bluey  and  Brutus,  after 
jack-rabbits  and  wolves,  if  we  only  had  something 
to  ride  ?  " 

"  Couldn't  we,  though! "  answered  Rob.    "  I  tell 


2O         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

you,  Joe,  it's  awful  hard  work  to  climb  over  these 
hills  on  foot ;  we  can't  begin  to  keep  up  with  the 
dogs ;  can't  get  anywhere  in  sight  of  'em.  You 
know  that,  and  I  just  bet  that  we  lose  lots  of 
game ;  don't  you  ?  " 

"Oh!  I  know  it,"  said  Joe;  "for  the  hounds 
become  discouraged  when  they  find  themselves 
so  far  away  from  us.  Often,  when  I'm  out  alone 
with  them,  Brutus  will  come  back  to  hunt  me 
instead  of  hunting  rabbits.  Sometimes  I  can't 
get  him  to  go  on  after  Bluey ;  he,  the  old  rascal 
is  more  cunning;  he  gets  many  a  rabbit  we 
never  see,  and  eats  it.  That  is  what  makes  him 
so  much  fatter  than  Brutus,  though  he  does 
twice  as  much  running.  Did  you  ever  think  of 
that,  Rob?" 

That  night  when  the  tired  boys  went  to  bed, 
they  little  dreamed  that  they  were  to  have  some- 
thing to  ride  sooner  than  their  fondest  hopes 
had  flattered  them,  and  from  an  entirely  different 
source  than  the  Indians. 

Before  the  sun's  broad  disc  rose  above  the 
Marker  Hills  next  morning,  although  its  rays 
had  already  crimsoned  the  rocky  crests  of  the 
buttes  which  bounded  the  little  valley  of  the 


A  FIGHT  WITH  A  LYNX  21 

Oxhide  on  the  west,  Rob  had  risen  without  dis- 
turbing his  brother.  He  was  always  an  early 
riser;  he  loved  the  calm,  beautiful  hours  that 
usher  in  the  day,  and  was  the  first  one  of  all 
the  family  out  of  bed  on  the  ranche. 

He  took  the  tin  wash  basin  from  its  hook  out- 
side of  the  kitchen  door,  and  started  for  the 
spring,  only  a  few  yards  away,  to  wash  himself. 
Just  as  he  arrived  there,  chancing  to  look 
towards  the  hills,  he  saw  that  the  whole  country, 
upland  and  bottom  alike,  was  black  with  buffaloes. 
In  his  excitement,  he  threw  down  the  basin, 
and  ran  back  to  the  house  as  fast  as  his  legs 
could  carry  him.  He  rushed  into  his  father's 
room,  and  unceremoniously  seizing  him  by  the 
shoulder,  waking  him  from  a  sound  slumber, 
shook  him,  and  shouted  as  loud  as  he  was 
able :  — 

"  Father,  get  up !  Father,  get  up !  the  whole 
country  is  alive  with  buffaloes,  and  the  nearest  one 
is  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  Quick  !  father." 

Mr.  Thompson  roused  himself,  and  instantly 
got  out  of  bed  and  dressed  himself  quicker  than 
he  had  ever  done  since  he  had  lived  on  the 
ranche.  He  threw  on  only  clothes  enough  to 


22         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

cover  him,  for  he  had  already  caught  some  of 
his  boy's  enthusiasm. 

He  told  Rob  to  go  to  the  closet,  bring  him  a 
dozen  bullets  and  his  powder-flask,  while  he 
commenced  to  wipe  out  the  barrels  of  his  two 
old-fashioned  rifles  and  the  Spencer  carbine,  that 
always  hung  on  a  set  of  elk  antlers  fastened  to 
the  wall  of  his  bed-chamber. 

As  Rob  had  declared,  the  whole  region  was 
literally  dark  with  a  mighty  multitude  of  the 
great  shaggy  monsters,  grazing  quietly  toward  the 
east.  There  were  thousands  in  sight,  and  for  just 
such  a  chance  Mr.  Thompson  had  been  anxiously 
waiting  to  get  a  supply  of  meat  for  the  family. 

Of  course,  every  member  of  the  household  got 
up  as  soon  as  Rob  had  ended  his  noisy  announce- 
ment. Hurriedly  dressing,  they  rushed  out  un- 
der a  group  of  trees  that  grew  near  the  door, 
and  watched  Mr.  Thompson  crawling  cautiously 
round  the  rocks  as  he  drew  nearer  and  nearer 
to  the  yet  unconscious  herd. 

In  a  few  moments  he  was  lost  to  sight,  and 
almost  immediately  they  saw  the  herd  raise  their 
heads  simultaneously.  The  family  then  knew 
that  Mr.  Thompson  had  been  discovered  by  the 


A  FIGHT  WITH   A   LYNX  23 

wary  animals,  for  the  alarmed  buffaloes  began 
their  characteristic  quick,  short  gallop,  and  the 
boys  were  fearful  that  their  father  had  not  gotten 
within  range  and  that  there  would  be  no  meat  for 
breakfast.  But  at  the  instant  they  were  expect- 
ing to  be  disappointed,  the  loud  crack  of  a  rifle 
echoed  through  the  valley  once,  twice,  then  a 
short  silence  ;  three,  four  times. 

As  the  sound  of  the  discharges  died  away, 
they  saw  their  father  climb  to  the  summit  of  the 
divide,  in  full  view  of  all,  and  wave  his  hat. 
Then  they  knew  he  had  been  successful,  and 
eagerly  watched  him  as  he  came  slowly  down  the 
declivity  toward  them. 

When  he  had  come  within  hailing  distance  he 
cried  out  that  he  had  killed  four  fat  cows ;  one 
for  each  shot.  Then  the  boys  and  girls  took  off 
their  hats,  and,  vigorously  waving  them,  gave 
three  hearty  cheers. 

Just  beyond  the  cabin  and  corral,  which  latter 
was  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  nearly  five  feet 
high,  was  a  single  hill  whose  summit  was  round, 
and  to  which  had  been  given  the  name  of  Hay- 
stack Mound,  because  at  a  distance  it  exactly 
resembled  a  haystack.  When  the  buffaloes  had 


24         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

started  to  run  eastwardly,  this  mound  cut  off 
some  of  the  animals  of  the  herd,  about  three 
hundred  in  all,  the  majority  going  south  of  it,  the 
smaller  number  north,  which  brought  them  near 
the  house.  Seeing  the  family  standing  there, 
they  suddenly  turned  and  rushed  right  over  the 
corral;  the  gate  was  open,  and  a  few  dashed 
through  it,  but  the  most  of  them  leaped  over  the 
wall.  The  buffalo  is  not  easily  stopped  by  any 
ordinary  obstacle  when  stampeded ;  he  will  go 
down  a  precipice,  or  up  a  steep  hill ;  madly  rush- 
ing on  to  his  destruction,  in  order  to  get  away 
from  the  common  enemy,  man. 

Rob  saw  the  buffaloes  first  as  they  were  turned 
from  their  course  by  the  mound,  and  when  they 
began  to  rush  over  the  wall  of  the  corral  and 
through  its  gate,  he  shouted  to  Joe :  — 

"  Come,  Joe,  let's  try  to  shut  some  of  them  in ; 
maybe  there  are  calves  among  them.  If  there  are, 
we  can  keep  'em  in,  for  the  little  ones  can  never 
mount  that  wall  on  the  other  side." 

Instantly  acting  on  the  suggestion,  both  boys 
ran  as  fast  as  they  could  to  the  corral,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  closing  the  entrance  just  as  the  last  of 
the  herd  was  leaping  over  the  far  wall. 


A  FIGHT  WITH  A  LYNX  2$ 

As  Rob  had  surmised,  four  calves  remained 
inside,  too  young  to  follow  their  mothers  over  the 
wall.  Both  he  and  Joe  were  nearly  wild  with 
excitement  at  their  luck  in  having  been  able  to 
shut  the  gate  in  time  to  corral  the  baby  buffaloes. 
They  were  about  to  rush  to  the  house  to  tell  the 
rest  of  the  family  of  their  wonderful  capture,  when 
Joe  chanced  to  look  into  the  door  of  the  rude 
shed  that  was  used  to  shelter  the  stock  in  stormy 
weather,  and  saw  jammed  against  the  farther  wall 
two  animals  that  were  too  small  to  be  full-grown 
buffaloes,  and  too  large  for  calves.  It  was  so 
dark  in  the  corner  where  they  were  that  he  could 
not  make  out  at  first  what  kind  of  animals  they 
had  caught.  He  called  Rob,  who  crawled  nearer 
to  where  the  beasts  stood  huddled  against  each 
other,  trembling  with  fear  at  their  strange  quar- 
ters. 

In  another  moment,  as  soon  as  Rob's  eyes 
became  used  to  the  dim  light,  he  came  bounding 
out  with  the  speed  of  a  Comanche  Indian  on  the 
war-path,  and  catching  Joe  by  the  shoulders  was 
just  able  to  gasp :  — 

"  By  jolly,  Joe,  they're  real  ponies! " 

They  were  so  astonished   for  a  few  seconds 


26         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

that  they  stood  paralyzed  before  they  ventured 
in  the  shed  to  take  a  good  look  at  the  little 
animals.  They  boldly  went  in,  and  the  moment 
the  ponies  saw  the  boys  they  made  a  break  for 
the  outside  and  vainly  attempted  to  dash  over  the 
wall.  Their  frantic  efforts,  however,  were  of  no 
avail ;  they  could  not  make  it :  they  were  regular 
prisoners,  and  Rob  and  Joe  were  almost  out  of 
their  senses  with  delight. 

After  their  excitement  had  somewhat  subsided 
they  went  to  the  house  and  brought  out  all  the 
rest  of  the  family  to  see  the  cunning  little  ani- 
mals. They  lost  all  their  interest  in  the  buffalo 
calves  now  that  their  brightest  dreams  of  owning 
ponies  of  their  own  were  realized. 

The  diminutive  beasts  which  the  boys  had  so 
successfully  corralled  were  sorry-looking  animals 
enough.  They  were  so  dirty,  thin,  angular,  and 
their  coats  so  rough,  so  filled  with  sand-burrs 
and  bull-nettles,  that  it  was  hard  to  determine 
what  color  they  were.  All  the  family  made 
a  guess  at  it.  Kate  said  she  thought  they  were 
mouse-color,  while  Gertrude  believed  they  were 
gray.  Joe  thought  they  were  brown,  and  Rob 
white.  Mr.  Thompson,  however,  who  knew  more 


A   FIGHT  WITH   A   LYNX  2/ 

about  horses  than  his  boys,  told  them  they  were 
bays,  but  it  would  take  a  few  days  of  currying 
and  brushing  up  to  determine  which  of  the  family 
had  guessed  correctly.  There  was  evidently  lots 
of  life  in  them,  for  they  cavorted  around  the  big 
corral,  prancing  like  thoroughbreds. 

That  afternoon,  when  they  had  taken  care  of 
the  buffaloes  which  Mr.  Thompson  shot,  and  had 
stretched  their  robes  on  the  corral  wall  to  cure,  the 
ponies  were  roped  by  Mr.  Thompson,  who  could 
handle  a  lariat  with  some  degree  of  skill,  and 
halters  were  put  on  them.  They  were  nearly  of 
a  size,  and  both  of  the  same  color,  so  they 
could  hardly  be  distinguished  from  each  other, 
but  on  a  closer  examination  it  was  discovered 
that  one  of  them  had  a  white  spot  on  his  breast. 
This  was  the  only  apparent  difference  between 
them,  so  the  boys  drew  lots  to  see  which  should 
have  the  one  with  the  white  breast.  Their 
father  selected  two  straws,  one  shorter  than  the 
other,  and  holding  them  partly  concealed  so  that 
only  their  ends  showed,  told  Rob  to  draw  first. 
He  got  the  longer  straw,  and  so  became  the 
owner  of  the  pony  with  the  spot  of  white  on  his 
breast. 


28         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

In  less  than  two  weeks,  through  kindness  and 
good  care,  they  were  changed  into  clean,  sleek, 
beautiful  bays,  just  as  Mr.  Thompson  had  said 
they  would  be.  In  a  month  the  boys  could  ride 
them  anywhere,  and  the  acme  of  their  happiness 
was  reached. 

The  animals  had  strayed  from  some  band  of 
wild  horses  and  had  drifted  along  with  the  herd 
of  buffaloes,  as  was  not  infrequently  the  case 
in  the  early  days  on  the  great  plains. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE     BOYS    GO    FISHING    FOR    THE     FIRST    TIME  —  AN    IDEA   SUD- 
DENLY  STRIKES   ROB ROB'S  QUEST   AND   LUCK THE   ISLAND 

OF  WILLOWS  —  ROB'S  BIG  CAT — JOE'S  TUSSLE  WITH  A  PANTHER 
CUB — KILLS  HIM  —  IS  WOUNDED  —  SKINS  THE  ANIMAL,  AND 
GETS  HOME  AT  LAST  —  GIVES  THE  BEAUTIFUL  ROBE  TO  HIS 
MOTHER 

THE  winter,  contrary  to  their  expectations,  was 
not  a  severe  one.  The  family  had  been  used  to 
the  long,  dreary,  cold  months  of  a  New  England 
winter,  and  were  agreeably  surprised  when  April 
arrived  with  its  sunny  skies,  delicious  breezes, 
and  wild  flowers  covering  the  prairies. 

One  morning,  when  his  father  was  just  start- 
ing for  the  little  village  of  Ellsworth,  six  miles 
distant,  for  a  load  of  lumber,  Rob  asked  him  to 
buy  some  hooks  and  lines. 

"Father,"  said  he,  "Oxhide  Creek  is  just  full 
of  bull-pouts,  perch,  cat  and  buffalo  fish.  Joe 
and  I  want  to  go  fishing  to-day,  if  you  return  in 

time." 

.29 


30          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Mr.  Thompson  told  the  boys  that  he  would 
not  forget  them,  and  as  he  drove  off,  they  took 
their  spades  to  dig  in  the  garden  as  their  father 
had  directed  them  to  do  while  he  was  away. 

Both  Joe  and  Rob  worked  very  industriously, 
anxious  to  make  the  time  slip  away  until  their 
father's  return,  when,  if  he  was  satisfied  with 
what  they  had  done,  they  knew  he  would  let 
them  go  fishing. 

Just  before  twelve  o'clock  Mr.  Thompson  came 
back.  The  boys  had  worked  for  more  than 
three  hours,  but  it  seemed  only  one  to  them,  so 
quickly  does  time  glide  along  when  we  are  en- 
gaged in  some  healthful  labor. 

When  Mr.  Thompson  saw  how  faithfully  his 
boys  had  worked,  he  told  them,  as  he  handed  to 
each  a  line  and  some  hooks,  they  might  have  the 
afternoon  to  themselves  and  go  fishing  if  they 
wished  to,  but  must  wait  until  they  had  taken 
the  lumber  off  the  wagon  and  eaten  their  dinner. 

The  boys  were  all  excitement  at  the  idea  of 
going  fishing.  When  they  sat  down  to  dinner 
they  hurried  through  it,  asked  to  be  excused,  and 
went  out  and  unloaded  the  lumber  before  their 
father  had  done  eating. 


JOE  KILLS  A   PANTHER  3! 

When  they  returned  to  the  house  and  told 
their  father  they  had  unloaded  the  boards  and 
run  the  wagon  under  the  shed,  he  said  they 
might  go,  but  were  to  be  sure  to  return  in  time 
to  do  the  chores. 

They  took  a  spade  from  the  tool-shed  and  an 
old  tomato  can  their  mother  had  given  them,  and 
started  for  the  creek,  where  in  the  soft,  black 
soil  of  its  banks  they  dug  for  white  grubs  for  bait. 
They  were  not  very  successful,  however.  They 
turned  over  almost  as  much  soil  as  they  had  dug 
in  the  garden  that  morning,  but  found  only  three 
or  four  worms ;  not  enough  to  take  out  on  their 
excursion.  They  were  disgusted  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, fearing  that  they  would  have  to  give  up 
their  fishing,  so  stood  staring  at  each  other,  their 
faces  filled  with  disappointment. 

At  last  an  idea  struck  Rob.     He  said :  — 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  well  do,  Joe.  I  read  in  one 
of  father's  books  the  other  day  about  the  Indians 
out  in  Oregon  catching  trout  with  crayfish.  It 
said  that  the  savages  commence  to  fish  far  up  at 
the  head  of  the  stream,  lifting,  as  they  walk  down, 
the  flat  stones  under  which  the  little  animals 
hide  themselves.  They  look  like  small  lobsters, 


32         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

only  they  are  gray  instead  of  green.  Then  they 
break  them  open  and  use  the  white  meat  for  bait. 
The  book  said  they  catch  more  trout  in  an  hour 
than  a  white  man  will  in  a  week  with  all  his  flies, 
bugs,  and  fancy  rigging." 

"  Let's  try  'em  for  luck,"  answered  Joe.  "  I  don't 
know  whether  there  are  any  crayfish  in  the  Ox- 
hide, but  we  can  go  and  find  out ;  and  if  there 
are,  I  guess  cat  and  perch  will  bite  at  'em  as 
well  as  trout." 

"  All  right,"  said  Rob,  the  look  of  disappoint- 
ment instantly  vanishing  from  his  face  as  he 
listened  to  his  brother's  suggestion.  "  But  I 
tell  you,  Joe,"  continued  he,  "  we've  got  to  have 
poles.  You  go  up  to  that  bunch  of  willows 
yonder,"  pointing  with  the  old  can  he  held  in 
his  hand,  to  the  bunch  of  willows  growing  as 
thick  as  rushes  on  a  little  island  in  the  creek, 
about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  from  where  he  stood ; 
"and  here,  Joe,  take  my  line  and  hooks,  too. 
Fix  yours  and  mine  all  ready  for  us,  while  I  go 
and  hunt  for  the  crayfish.  I  know  where  they 
are;  I  saw  a  whole  lot  crawling  in  the  water 
near  the  house  the  other  day." 

The  two  brothers  then  separated,  —  Joe,  jack- 


JOE  KILLS  A  PANTHER  33 

knife  in  hand,  going  toward  the  willows,  and 
Rob  to  the  creek  with  the  tomato  can. 

As  soon  as  Rob  arrived  at  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  he  took  off  his  boots  and  stockings, 
rolled  his  trousers  above  his  knees,  tied  the  can 
around  his  neck  with  a  string,  and  waded  in. 
The  creek  was  not  at  all  deep,  and  the  water 
as  clear  as  crystal.  He  could  see  shoals  of 
perch  dart  ahead  of  him,  and  many  bull-pouts 
rush  under  the  shadow  of  the  bank  as  he 
waded  toward  the  island  of  willows.  In  the 
bed  of  the  creek  were  hundreds  of  flat  rocks; 
some  that  he  could  easily  lift,  others  so  large 
that  he  could  not  budge  them. 

The  first  stone  he  turned  over  had  three  of 
the  coveted  crayfish  hidden  under  its  slimy 
bottom,  and  excited  at  his  luck,  he  quickly 
caught  them.  So  many  were  there  as  he  lifted 
stone  after  stone,  that  he  soon  filled  the  tomato 
can,  and  by  that  time  he  had  arrived  at  the 
willows.  Joe  was  anxiously  waiting  for  him 
with  two  handsome  rods,  at  least  ten  feet  long, 
the  lines  already  attached  and  the  hooks  nicely 
fastened  to  their  ends. 

"  Golly !  Rob,  you  must  have  had  awful  good 


34         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

luck,"  said  Joe,  as  he  looked  at  the  can  full  of 
struggling  crayfish. 

"  Pshaw!"  answered  Rob.  "  Why,  Joe,  I  could 
have  got  a  bushel  of  'em  ;  the  Oxhide  was  just 
swimming  with  'em." 

"  Let's  go  to  that  little  lake  that  was  so 
nice  where  we  went  swimming  last  autumn," 
suggested  Joe.  "  I  know  there  are  lots  of  cats 
in  there;  big  ones,  too." 

"  All  right,  Joe,"  said  Rob,  as  he  commenced 
to  put  on  his  stockings.  When  he  had  got 
his  boots  on,  the  two  boys  walked  briskly 
toward  the  so-called  lake,  which  was  a  mere 
widening  of  the  creek,  forming  quite  a  large 
sheet  of  water,  where  they  arrived  in  about 
seven  minutes.  It  was  a  very  delightful  spot. 
The  whole  surface  of  the  water  was  shaded  by 
the  gigantic  limbs  of  great  elms  a  hundred 
years  old,  growing  on  its  margin,  and  all 
around  the  edge  was  a  heavy  mat  of  buffalo 
grass,  soft  as  a  carpet. 

It  required  only  a  dozen  seconds  or  so  for 
the  boys  to  unwind  their  lines,  bait  the  hooks, 
seat  themselves  on  the  cushioned  sod,  and  cast 
the  shining  white  meat  in  the  water. 


JOE  KILLS  A  PANTHER  35 

There  they  anxiously  waited  for  results,  as 
the  catfish  is  not  game  like  the  trout,  but  is 
slow  and  deliberate  in  all  its  movements.  The 
trout  rushes  at  anything  that  touches  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  but  the  catfish  carefully  in- 
vestigates whatever  comes  within  reach  of  its 
great  jaws,  before  it  opens  its  ugly  mouth  to 
take  it  in. 

In  a  few  minutes,  Rob  felt  a  tremendous 
tugging  at  his  line,  and  in  another  instant  he 
skilfully  landed  a  large  channel  cat  on  the 
grass  at  his  feet. 

"  Look,  Joe,  look !  see  what  a  big  one  I've 
caught,"  said  Rob,  as  he  dexterously  extracted 
the  hook  from  the  creature's  great  mouth,  and 
then  held  the  fish  at  arm's  length  so  that  his 
brother  could  have  a  good  look  at  it. 

Rob's  catch  weighed  at  least  four  pounds,  and 
no  wonder  he  was  delighted  at  such  success,  as 
it  showed  considerable  skill  to  land  a  fish  of 
that  size. 

Joe  had  not  yet  had  a  nibble,  and  a  shade  of 
disappointment  began  to  creep  over  his  face 
when  suddenly,  just  as  he  was  about  to  go  over 
to  examine  his  brother's  catch  more  closely,  he 


36          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

was  nearly  jerked  off  his  feet  by  a  tremendous 
pull  at  his  own  line.  He  recovered  himself  im- 
mediately, and  by  dint  of  a  hard  struggle,  hauled 
in  a  cat  that  was  almost  as  big  again  as  that 
which  Rob  had  caught. 

It  was  Joe's  turn  to  yell  now ;  he  held  up  the 
big  fish  as  high  as  he  could,  —  its  tail  touched 
the  ground  even  then, —  and  sung  out:  — 

"  I  say,  Rob,  just  look  at  this,  will  you  ? 
Yours  is  only  a  minnow  alongside  of  mine. 
When  you  go  fishing,  why  don't  you  catch 
something  like  this  ?  " 

Unfortunately,  at  the  instant  he  was  so  wild 
with  excitement,  he  stood  on  the  very  edge 
of  the  bank,  and  so  absorbed  was  he  in  the 
contemplation  of  the  great  fish,  that  his  foot 
slipped  and  both  he  and  the  cat  were  thrown 
into  the  water  at  the  same  moment.  The  cat 
made  a  terrible  lunge  forward  when  it  found 
itself  once  more  in  its  native  element,  and  before 
you  could  say  "Jack  Robinson,"  was  out  of  sight. 

If  ever  disgust  was  to  be  seen  on  a  boy's  face, 
that  face  was  Joe  Thompson's;  he  only  glanced 
at  the  water,  did  not  say  a  word;  his  feelings 
were  too  sad  for  utterance. 


JOE  KILLS  A  PANTHER  37 

Rob  looked  over  at  his  brother  and  sarcastic- 
ally said,  as  he  held  up  his  cat  and  stroked  it :  — 

"  I  say,  Joe,  who's  got  the  biggest  fish 
now?" 

In  an  instant  he  saw  that  he  had  touched  Joe 
in  a  tender  spot;  he  was  a  very  sensitive  boy, 
so  Rob  quickly  added :  "  Well,  never  mind,  Joe. 
You  remember  what  mother  often  says  to  us, 
4  There  is  as  good  a  fish  in  the  sea  as  was  ever 
caught/  and  111  bet  there's  just  as  big  cats  in 
here  as  the  one  you  lost.  Try  again,  Joe,  but 
stand  away  from  the  edge  of  the  water  with  the 
next  one  you  haul  out." 

Joe,  thus  encouraged  and  comforted,  sat  down 
again  in  his  old  place,  threw  his  line  to  try 
once  more,  and  in  the  excitement  soon  forgot 
his  misfortune. 

In  less  than  three  hours  the  boys  caught  more 
than  a  dozen  apiece,  none  so  large,  however, 
as  that  which  escaped  from  Joe.  It  was  now 
nearly  six  o'clock,  the  sun  was  low  in  the 
heavens,  and  as  they  had  as  many  fish  as 
they  could  conveniently  carry,  they  decided  to 
go  home.  Arriving  there  in  a  short  time,  they 
at  once  went  to  work  at  their  chores.  Their 


38          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

customary  evening's  task  was  to  drive  the  cows 
into  the  corral,  feed  the  horses  and  their  own 
ponies,  and  bring  water  from  the  spring  for 
their  mother,  so  that  it  should  be  handy  when 
she  rose  in  the  morning. 

While  Joe  and  Rob  were  at  their  work,  their 
father  cleaned  some  of  the  fish,  which  their 
mother  then  cooked  for  supper,  and  they  cer- 
tainly tasted  to  the  young  anglers  better  than 
ever  did  fish  before.  While  at  the  table  they 
related  every  little  incident  that  had  befallen 
them  on  this  their  first  angling  expedition  in 
the  new  country. 

After  that  very  successful  excursion  the  broth- 
ers sometimes  spent  whole  mornings  or  portions 
of  the  afternoons  at  some  place  on  the  creek  or 
river,  when  the  work  on  the  ranche  was  not 
pushing,  and  so  expert  did  they  become  with 
hook  and  line,  that  the  family  was  never  at  a 
loss  for  a  supply  of  fish  during  the  proper  sea- 
sons. 

Joe  was  a  close  observer  of  nature,  and  he  very 
quickly  learned  the  habits  of  all  the  animals,  birds, 
and  fish  that  were  common  to  the  region  where 
he  lived.  Being  the  eldest  son,  too,  he  was 


JOE  KILLS  A   PANTHER  39 

intrusted  with  a  small  but  excellent  rifle  and  a 
shot-gun  which  his  father  bought  one  morning 
in  the  village,  on  the  fifteenth  anniversary  of  his 
birthday.  He  would  get  up  very  early  in  the 
morning  and  with  his  pony  and  the  hounds 
have  many  a  lively  chase  after  the  little  cotton- 
tail rabbit  or  the  larger  "jack,"  improperly  so 
called,  for  it  is  really  the  hare.  The  rabbit 
burrows  in  the  ground,  while  the  jack-rabbit  does 
not,  but  makes  his  nest  on  the  top,  in  a  bunch 
of  grass,  or  in  the  holes  in  the  rocky  ledges  of 
the  bluffs  that  fringe  nearly  every  stream  on 
the  great  plains.  Out  on  the  open  prairies  the 
grouse  congregated  in  large  flocks  at  certain 
seasons,  and  in  every  covert  in  the  woods  the 
quail  could  be  found.  Joe  had  really  handled  a 
gun  long  before  he  left  Vermont,  but  the  superior 
chance  for  practice  out  on  the  ranche  soon  made 
him  a  magnificent  shot ;  consequently  the  table  at 
the  ranche  was  never  without  game  if  the  family 
desired  it. 

Beside  the  smaller  game  I  have  mentioned, 
there  were  immense  herds  of  buffalo  and  ante- 
lope, and  in  some  places  in  the  deep  woods  was 
the  only  long-tailed  specimen  of  the  genus  felis 


40          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

on  the  continent,  —  the  cougar,  or  panther.  All 
the  wildcats,  so  called,  are  lynxes,  with  short  tails. 
With  one  of  the  first  mentioned  Joe  once  had  a 
severe  tussle,  which  nearly  proved  disastrous  to 
him.  It  happened  in  this  way. 

One  afternoon  in  November  shortly  after  the 
cabin  was  finished  and  the  family  had  moved  in, 
he  was  out  on  the  range  with  his  father's  horse, 
the  Spencer  carbine,  and  about  twenty  rounds  of 
ammunition.  Even  at  that  early  stage  of  his  life 
at  Errolstrath  he  was  always  careful  never  to  ride 
far  away  from  home,  without  taking  a  gun  with 
him ;  for  he  was  always  sure  to  see  something  in 
the  shape  of  game  worth  killing  for  the  table; 
and  as  its  main  support  in  that  particular  very 
soon  depended  on  his  prowess  as  a  hunter,  he 
was  always  on  the  lookout. 

Joe  had  ridden  a  long  way  from  the  cabin. 
He  had  really  forgotten  how  far  away  he  was  and 
was  becoming  very  thirsty,  for  the  day  had  been 
warm,  so  he  commenced  to  hunt  for  water. 

He  was  riding  along  the  bank  of  the  Smoky 
Hill  in  the  thickest  of  the  timber  which  grows 
on  its  banks,  and  by  certain  signs  he  had 
studied  since  he  had  lived  on  the  ranche,  knew 


JOE  KILLS  A  PANTHER  4! 

that  he  was  near  some  springs,  though  he  had 
never  been  in  that  vicinity  before. 

He  got  off  his  horse,  slipped  the  loop  of  the 
bridle-rein  over  his  left  arm,  slung  the  carbine 
across  his  right  shoulder,  and  cautiously  walked 
on.  There  was,  of  course,  no  trail  or  path  at  the 
base  of  the  bluffs  along  which  he  was  travelling, 
so  he  stopped  at  the  mouth  of  every  ravine  he 
came  to,  hoping  to  find  a  pool  of  water,  or  to  dis- 
cover some  hidden  spring  whose  source  was  high 
up  among  the  great  rocks  that  towered  above  his 
head. 

Presently  he  arrived  at  a  depression  in  the 
earth  in  the  bottom  of  a  gully,  evidently  made  by 
the  claws  of  some  animal,  for  beside  those  marks 
were  the  imprint  of  foot-tracks.  Joe  intuitively 
guessed  they  were  those  of  a  panther,  as  he  had 
been  told  by  the  old  trapper,  Tucker,  that  that 
animal  knows  by  instinct  when  the  water  is  near 
the  surface,  and  scratches  with  his  claws  until  he 
reaches  it.  Joe  knew,  too,  that  the  panther  was 
not  a  very  large  one;  his  footprints  were  too 
small ;  so  he  did  not  feel  at  all  alarmed  at  their 
sight.  On  the  contrary,  boy-like,  he  was  de- 
lighted at  the  idea  of  a  possible  tussle  with  one 


42          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

of  the  dreadful  creatures,  and  he  thought  that  if 
he  could  succeed  in  killing  it  he  would  add 
another  feather  to  his  cap  by  taking  its  hide 
home. 

Joe  felt  himself  equal  to  a  possible  struggle. 
He  knew  that  he  was  fully  armed,  and  at  once 
examined  his  carbine,  took  out  the  knife  which 
he  always  carried  in  his  belt  for  skinning,  and 
finding  everything  in  perfect  order,  he  was  really 
anxious  to  find  the  animal  that  had  been  digging 
for  water  only  a  little  while  before  his  arrival  at 
the  spot. 

A  few  rods  further  on,  in  the  same  ravine,  he 
saw  a  little  pool  of  water,  evidently  clear  and 
cool,  and  after  looking  cautiously  all  around  him, 
dipped  the  rim  of  his  hat  into  the  pool  before 
him  and  indulged  in  a  long  drink  of  the  delicious 
fluid.  Then  after  having  satisfied  his  thirst,  he 
stood  still  for  a  few  moments  undecided  as  to 
what  course  he  should  pursue. 

He  concluded  that  if  he  was  to  remain  and 
fight  the  panther  if  the  animal  made  his  appear- 
ance, it  would  be  best  to  tie  his  horse  to  a  sap- 
ling a  short  distance  from  the  pool.  After  doing 
this  he  placed  a  fresh  cartridge  in  his  carbine  and 


JOE  KILLS  A  PANTHER  43 

walked  slowly  on,  following  the  beast's  tracks, 
which  had  grown  plainly  visible  a  few  paces  from 
the  edge  of  the  water,  and  which  soon  led  him 
into  a  rocky  canon. 

Joe  came  in  sight  of  the  panther  much  sooner 
than  he  expected.  As  he  was  turning  the  sharp 
projecting  corner  of  a  mass  of  rocks  which 
formed  the  walls  of  a  ravine,  there  was  the  pan- 
ther sitting  on  a  shelf  of  sandstone,  not  forty  feet 
away  from  him.  He  was  busy  licking  his  paws 
cat-fashion,  his  ears  cocked  as  if  listening,  and 
his  small  green  eyes  turned  toward  the  intruder, 
but  evidently  not  much  concerned  at  the  sight  of 
his  greatest  enemy,  man. 

Joe  was  rather  taken  aback  at  first,  but  as  the 
brute  was  only  a  little  over  half-grown,  and 
appeared  so  indifferent  to  his  presence,  he  un- 
cocked his  carbine,  which  he  had  a  moment 
before  hastily  cocked,  and  both  boy  and  panther 
stood  quietly  gazing  at  each  other  for  ten  seconds 
before  either  made  any  demonstration. 

Presently  the  panther  rose  and  turned  side- 
ways toward  Joe,  and  edging  up  toward  the  top 
of  the  ledge,  gave  vent  to  a  low  growl,  and  showed 
a  beautiful  set  of  long,  sharp  teeth,  evidently 


44         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

intending  to  let  Joe  know  that  he  wasn't  afraid  of 
him.  This  movement  on  the  part  of  the  panther 
somewhat  excited  Joe,  and  cocking  his  carbine 
again,  he  deliberately  took  aim  at  the  place  where 
the  heart  of  the  beast  should  be,  as  the  animal 
had  now  turned  its  left  side  toward  the  young 
hunter.  Quick  as  a  flash  Joe  pulled  the  trigger, 
but  the  ball  glancing  upward,  only  grazed  the  end 
of  the  beast's  shoulder-blade  and  shattered  it,  the 
panther  at  the  same  instant  tumbling  over  on  its 
side.  This  made  Joe  yell  with  delight,  for  he 
thought  he  had  killed  it  at  the  first  shot. 

The  panther  lay  on  the  ground  only  for  about 
ten  seconds  when  the  aspect  of  affairs  for  Joe  was 
suddenly  changed.  The  brute  staggered  to  its 
feet,  and,  maddened  with  rage  and  pain,  made  for 
the  boy.  Although  the  beast  was  evidently  very 
lame  from  the  effect  of  the  shot,  Joe  saw  to  his 
amazement  that  he  was  far  from  dead,  and  for  a 
moment  his  usual  presence  of  mind  forsook  him, 
and  he  made  a  bolt  for  his  horse,  feeling  that  the 
dreadful  animal  was  close  to  him. 

In  his  fright  he  dropped  his  carbine,  but  in 
another  moment  was  on  his  horse,  who,  on  being 
so  unceremoniously  mounted,  and  seeing  the 


JOE   KILLS   A  PANTHER  45 

panther,  gave  a  wild  snort  and  a  desperate  kick 
which  sent  Joe  heels  over  head  to  the  ground, 
and  then  dashed  down  the  trail  for  home ! 

Joe  was  now  all  alone,  on  foot,  and  with 
nothing  but  his  knife  to  defend  himself  from 
the  attack  of  the  panther,  who  was  almost 
upon  him  as  he  got  up  from  the  ground  after 
having  been  so  hurriedly  tossed  from  his  sad- 
dle. Although  the  panther  was  lame  and 
bleeding  profusely,  he  waddled  along  as  best 
he  could  toward  Joe,  his  mouth  wide  open  and 
his  great  jaws  covered  with  froth  in  his  rage. 
Joe  was  somewhat  bruised  by  his  fall,  and  see- 
ing very  quickly  that  he  could  not  escape  a 
tussle  with  the  beast,  made  up  his  mind  that 
he  would  fight  him  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 
There  was  no  other  chance,  for  the  panther 
was  now  upon  him,  trying  to  get  at  him  so 
that  he  could  claw  and  bite  at  his  leisure. 
But  Joe,  who  had  now  gained  his  normal  cool- 
ness, turned  deliberately,  and  facing  the  savage 
brute,  whose  hot  breath  he  could  feel,  with  one 
vigorous  thrust  of  his  knife  he  struck  the  ani- 
mal's heart  and  fortunately  killed  him  instantly. 

In  the  close  struggle  the  panther  was  so  near 


46         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Joe,  that  in  his  death  throes,  having  fallen  right 
on  top  of  the  boy,  his  sharp  claws  tore  the 
sleeve  of  his  coat  off  and  scratched  a  goodly 
piece  of  flesh  from  his  arms,  as  with  one  con- 
vulsive shudder  the  ferocious  animal  had  rolled 
over  dead. 

There  was  never  a  more  delighted  boy  than 
Joe,  despite  his  really  painful  wounds,  and  ris- 
ing with  some  difficulty  to  his  feet,  he  went 
back  for  his  carbine,  and  returned  with  it  to 
the  dead  panther.  He  picked  up  his  knife 
which  had  fallen  on  the  ground  when  the 
fatal  thrust  was  given,  deftly  skinned  him,  sus- 
pended the  beautiful  hide  to  a  limb  of  a  cot- 
tonwood  tree  to  keep  the  wolves  from  it,  and 
then  turned  away  and  followed  his  trail  towards 
the  ranche.  Of  course,  in  a  little  while  he  be- 
gan to  grow  stiff  in  his  arms  from  the  sever- 
ity of  his  wounds,  and  not  knowing  exactly 
how  far  he  was  from  the  cabin,  he  was  dis- 
turbed, not  so  much  for  himself  as  at  the 
thought  that  when  the  riderless  horse  arrived 
there  it  would  alarm  his  parents. 

Joe  was  correct  in  his  conjectures.  As  the 
horse  dashed  up  to  the  stable  without  his 


JOE  KILLS  A  PANTHER  47 

rider,  both  his  father  and  mother  were  terribly 
frightened.  They  plucked  up  courage,  however, 
and  immediately  saddling  another  horse,  led 
back  on  his  own  trail  the  one  Joe  had  ridden, 
and  soon  came  up  to  where  Joe  was  resting 
at  the  side  of  a  large  spring,  and  suffering  con- 
siderably with  the  pain  caused  by  his  wounds. 

They  all  arrived  at  the  cabin  by  sundown, 
with  the  skin  of  the  panther,  Joe's  father  hav- 
ing gone  back  to  the  tree  where  the  boy  had 
hung  it.  That  was  a  red-letter  day  in  Joe's 
young  life.  He  had  to  tell  again  and  again 
how  he  happened  to  come  on  the  panther  and 
his  awful  fight  with  the  enraged  creature. 

Joe  soon  recovered  under  the  devoted  nurs- 
ing of  his  mother;  his  arm  healed  nicely,  but 
a  good-sized  scar  was  left  where  the  panther 
had  dug  its  sharp  claws  into  the  flesh.  The 
hide  was  smoke-tanned,  and  for  many  years 
afterward  adorned  the  floor  at  the  foot  of  his 
mother's  bed. 


CHAPTER   IV 

BOY  AND  GIRL  LIFE  AT  ERROLSTRATH  RANCHE  —  THEIR  PETS  — 
THE  GIRLS  ENCOUNTER  A  BIG  PRAIRIE  WOLF  —  JOE  TO  THE 
RESCUE  —  DEATH  OF  THE  FEROCIOUS  BEAST 

As  the  months  rolled  on,  the  family,  partic- 
ularly the  children,  grew  more  and  more  de- 
lighted with  their  new  home  in  the  wilderness. 
The  boys  and  girls  had  an  abundance  of 
leisure;  for  though  their  father  exacted  the 
most  prompt  obedience,  he  was  not  a  hard 
task-master.  He  allowed  his  children  every 
indulgence  compatible  with  reason,  and  only 
certain  portions  of  the  day  were  devoted  to 
work.  They  all  studied  under  their  father's 
personal  supervision,  for  no  schools  had  yet 
been  established  in  the  settlement. 

For  the  boys,  there  were  the  cows  to  be 
driven  to  and  from  their  pasture,  morning  and 
night,  and  it  was  their  duty  to  milk  them,  too. 

Then  the  horses  were  to  be  fed,  and  in  season 

48 


A  FIGHT  WITH  A  WOLF  49 

they  worked  in  the  large  garden,  on  which 
their  father  prided  himself.  The  girls  helped 
their  mother  in  every  household  duty,  and  re- 
lieved her  of  many  cares  as  she  grew  older. 
So  the  children  of  Errolstrath  Ranche  had  a 
good  time — a  much  better  time  than  generally 
falls  to  the  lot  of  those  families  in  only  moderate 
circumstances,  as  were  the  Thompsons. 

Before  they  had  resided  on  the  ranche  a 
year,  the  boys  and  girls  had  become  possessed 
of  a  variety  of  pets.  Gertrude  had  a  coon; 
Kate,  an  antelope ;  Rob,  a  prairie  dog ;  and  Joe, 
an  elk. 

The  antelope  was  caught  when  young  by 
Joe,  and  the  hounds,  Bluey  and  Brutus,  under 
the  following  circumstances:  Although  one  of 
the  most  timid  and  swift  of  all  the  ruminants 
on  the  great  plains,  it  is  also  one  of  the  most 
inquisitive.  Whenever  it  sees  something  with 
which  it  is  not  familiar,  its  curiosity  overpowers 
its  usual  fear,  and  it  will  approach  very  near 
to  the  object  that  has  excited  its  attention. 
Now  Joe  had  learned  from  old  Tucker,  the 
trapper,  just  how  the  Indians  act,  when  out 
hunting  the  antelope,  to  draw  the  herd  within 


5O         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

range  of  their  arrows.  He  said  that  sometimes 
one  or  two  of  the  savages  would  stand  on 
their  heads  and  shake  their  legs  in  the  air; 
then  again,  they  would  hold  up  a  blanket,  no 
matter  what  color,  and  wave  it  slowly,  when  the 
herd,  or  at  least  a  number  from  it,  would  gradu- 
ally walk  toward  the  Indians  who  were  lying 
flat  on  the  ground,  and  thus  become  easy  victims 
to  their  swift,  unerring  arrows. 

It  was  this  knowledge  of  the  antelope's  promi- 
nent characteristic  that  enabled  Joe  to  secure 
one  for  his  favorite  sister.  He  was  out  very 
early  one  morning  when  he  noticed  a  large 
herd  with  many  kids  among  it,  about  half  a 
mile  distant.  He  was  well  aware  that  his  dogs, 
swift  as  they  were,  would  be  no  match  for  the 
beautiful  creatures  in  a  trial  of  speed,  so  he 
resolved  to  resort  to  the  Indian  method.  Order- 
ing his  hounds  to  lie  close,  he  tied  his  white 
handkerchief  round  his  head,  and  taking  off 
his  overalls,  he  began  to  move  his  body  slowly 
backward  and  forward,  at  the  same  time  vigor- 
ously waving  the  overalls  in  the  air.  In  a  few 
moments,  just  as  he  expected  they  would,  he 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  first  one,  then 


A   FIGHT  WITH  A  WOLF  51 

another,  look  up  and  gaze  steadily  at  the  strange 
object.  Presently,  about  half  a  dozen  of  the 
does  with  their  little  ones  by  their  sides,  com- 
menced to  move  cautiously  towards  him.  When 
they  had  approached  sufficiently  near,  he  started 
the  hounds  after  them,  and  after  a  short,  lively 
chase  they  caught  a  fine  kid,  which,  of  course, 
could  not  keep  up  with  its  mother.  They  cap- 
tured it  without  injury,  for  they  had  been  trained 
not  to  mouth  their  game.  As  there  were  a 
dozen  cows  on  the  ranch,  there  was  an  abun- 
dance of  milk,  with  which  Kate  used  to  feed  her 
little  pet  from  a  bottle.  The  pretty  creature 
throve  rapidly,  and  soon  became  as  affectionate 
as  a  kitten,  following  its  mistress  everywhere  like 
a  dog. 

The  big  gray  wolf,  that  ghoul  of  the  great 
plains,  understands  full  well  the  inordinate  curi- 
osity of  the  antelope,  and  knowing  that  it  is  im- 
possible for  him  to  catch  one  of  the  fleet  animals 
by  the  employment  of  his  legs  alone,  he  effects 
by  cunning  what  he  could  never  accomplish  by 
the  best  efforts  of  his  endurance.  The  wicked 
old  fellow,  wrhen  he  discovers  a  bunch  of  ante- 
lopes in  the  distance,  rolls  himself  into  a  ball,  like 


52         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

a  badger,  and  tumbles  about  on  the  grass  until 
some  of  the  deluded  animals  come  near  enough 
for  him  to  spring  on  them. 

Gertrude's  coon  was  caught  by  both  the  boys, 
assisted  by  Bluey  and  Brutus.  They  dug  him 
out  of  his  nest  under  the  roots  of  a  huge  elm  tree 
near  the  cabin,  one  day  in  the  early  springtime, 
when  the  warm  sun  had  just  begun  to  thaw  him 
after  his  winter's  hibernation.  He  was  "  'cute" 
and  mischievous  as  he  could  be,  stealing  anything 
on  which  he  could  get  his  tiny  paws.  Whenever 
Gertrude  called  him,  —  his  name  was  Tom,  —  he 
would  run  tr>  her  as  fast  as  he  could,  jump  on 
her  back,  and  sit  on  her  shoulders  for  an  hour  at 
a  time,  when  she  was  sewing  or  doing  something 
which  did  not  require  her  to  move  about.  He 
lived  on  any  scraps  from  the  table,  always  rolling 
his  food  in  his  paws  before  he  ate  it. 

The  prairie  dog,  the  property  of  Rob,  was  acci- 
dentally captured  by  Gertrude  one  morning  when 
she  and  Kate  were  out  gathering  wild  flowers. 
She  actually  stumbled  on  him  as  she  stooped  to 
pick  a  sensitive  rose.  The  little  creature  had 
somehow  become  entangled  in  the  convolutions 
of  the  vine,  and  thus  became  an  easy  prey.  It 


A  FIGHT  WITH  A  WOLF  53 

fought  like  a  tiger  at  first,  and  tried  to  bite  with 
its  sharp  teeth  everything  that  came  near  it. 
It  was  soon  tamed,  however,  and  became  a  reg- 
ular nuisance  at  times,  for  it  would  run  under 
your  feet  in  spite  of  the  many  pinches  it  got  by 
being  stepped  upon.  It  tripped  up  the  boys 
and  girls  a  dozen  times  a  day,  as  it  was  allowed 
the  freedom  of  the  house  and  the  dooryard. 
Gertrude  gave  it  to  Rob,  who  had  often  expressed 
a  desire  to  own  one,  and  had  failed  a  hundred 
times,  perhaps,  to  capture  one  by  drowning  it 
out  of  its  hole. 

The  elk  was  given  to  Joe  by  old  Tucker,  and 
in  a  short  time  grew  to  be  as  big  as  a  young  mule. 
Joe  broke  him  to  harness,  and  used  to  drive  him 
hitched  to  a  little  cart  which  his  father,  with  the 
boy's  help,  improvised  out  of  an  odd  pair  of 
wheels  and  a  dry-goods  box.  He  was  kept  in 
the  corral  with  the  cows  and  horses,  and  became 
very  tame,  but  sometimes  attempted  to  use  his 
sharp  front  hoofs  too  freely.  He  was  forbidden 
the  precincts  of  the  dooryard  and  the  house,  for 
he  came  near  cutting  Kate  in  two  once,  all  in 
play,  but  too  rough  a  kind  of  affection  for  a 
repetition  of  it  to  be  allowed. 


54         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

The  wild  raspberries  grew  in  great  profusion 
near  every  ledge  of  rock  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
ranche.  About  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  house, 
however,  there  was  a  specially  favored  spot  for 
them,  where  the  vines  were  more  dense  and  the 
berries  of  large  size  and  delicious  flavor.  In  the 
second  week  of  June,  the  second  year  of  their 
residence  on  the  creek,  Rob,  who  had  been  up  the 
valley  herding  the  cows,  reported  that  evening, 
upon  his  return,  that  the  berries  were  ripe  and 
that  there  were  bushels  of  them. 

The  next  morning,  immediately  after  breakfast, 
Gertrude  and  Kate  left  the  house  with  a  tin 
bucket  each,  intending  to  go  up  to  the  ledge  and 
gather  raspberries.  They  were  dressed  lightly, — 
Kate  in  a  white  muslin  skirt,  and  her  sister  in 
a  lawn.  As  the  nearest  way  to  the  place  where 
the  berries  were  to  be  found  lay  by  a  trail  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Oxhide  the  girls  crossed  it  near 
the  cabin,  and  as  there  was  neither  log  bridge  nor 
stepping-stones,  they  took  off  their  shoes  and 
stockings  and  waded  it.  After  reaching  the 
other  side  and  putting  on  their  shoes  and  stock- 
ings, they  wandered  slowly  through  a  little 
flower-bedecked  prairie,  beyond  the  margin  of 


A  FIGHT  WITH  A  WOLF  55 

timber  which  fringed  the  creek,  to  make  a  short 
cut  to  where  the  raspberries  grew,  for  the  Oxhide 
made  a  sweeping  curve  to  the  northeast,  nearly 
in  the  shape  of  half  a  circle. 

Both  loving  flowers,  they  gathered  great 
bunches  of  the  sensitive  roses,  anemones,  and 
white  daisies,  growing  everywhere  in  such  pro- 
fusion. This  occupation  consumed  a  great  deal 
of  time,  for  they  naturally  loitered,  charmed  by 
so  much  floral  beauty  around  them.  It  was 
fortunate  they  did,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  and 
they  did  not  arrive  at  the  ledge  of  rocks  until 
nearly  ten  o'clock  —  more  than  two  hours  after 
they  had  left  home.  It  was  intensely  hot,  and 
after  gathering  their  buckets  full  of  the  delicious 
fruit,  they  sat  down  on  a  shelf  of  the  ledge  which 
projected  over  the  creek.  They  dabbled  their 
bare  feet  in  the  stream  as  it  flowed  in  murmur- 
ing rhythm  over  the  rounded  white  pebbles,  while 
they  ate  their  lunch  of  cake  brought  from  the 
ranche,  and  the  red  berries  so  sweet  in  the  wild- 
ness  of  their  flavor. 

Having  satisfied  their  hunger,  Kate  said  to 
her  sister :  "  Gert,  we  ought  to  fill  up  our 
buckets  again.  If  we  go  home  empty-handed, 


56          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

mother  will  think  we  have  been  making  pigs  of 
ourselves." 

"There's  time  enough  for  that  yet,"  replied 
Gertrude.  "This  cool  water  feels  so  delightful 
to  my  feet  that  I  believe  I  could  sit  here  and 
dabble  in  it  until  dark.  Don't  you  think  it's 
delicious,  Kate?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Kate,  "but  I  want  to  get 
home  before  dinner,  because  Joe  said  that  he 
would  go  with  me  down  to  the  village  this  even- 
ing. I  am  going  to  ride  his  pony,  and  he  will 
ride  Rob's." 

"  Well,"  said  Gertrude,  "  if  we  must,  we  must. 
Mother  loves  raspberries  so ;  they  are  her  favorite 
fruit,  you  know ;  and  if  we  did  not  take  her  a 
bucketful  back  with  us,  I  should  never  forgive 
myself,  though  perhaps  she  would  not  say  a 
word." 

"Let  us  commence  right  now,"  imploringly 
said  Kate.  "  I  want  to  get  back  as  soon  as  I 


can." 


Both  girls  rose  languidly  to  do  as  they  pro- 
posed, but  there  did  not  seem  to  be  much  energy 
in  their  motions.  Just  as  Gertrude  had  taken  her 
pail  from  its  place  in  the  rocks,  their  ears  were 


A  FIGHT  WITH  A  WOLF  57 

greeted  by  a  low  growl,  which  seemed  to  come 
directly  from  underneath  the  shelf  on  which  they 
had  been  sitting.  They  looked  at  each  other, 
and  their  faces  blanched  as  another  snarl  and 
a  howl,  nearer  than  before,  came  to  their  ears, 
and  both  recognized  the  familiar  sound  they  had 
so  often  heard  when  lying  in  bed  at  night,  as  that 
of  a  wolf.  Those  predatory  brutes  frequently 
made  their  nightly  rounds  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
corral,  trying  to  get  at  the  young  calves,  and 
they  might  be  heard  in  the  timber,  watching  for 
a  chance  to  secure  some  of  the  fowls  shut  up  in 
their  house  of  stone  near  the  barn. 

Gertrude,  who  was  really  very  brave  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  immediately  stood  still, 
and  looking  all  around  her,  she  suddenly  met  the 
gaze  of  a  large,  gaunt  she-wolf  at  whose  side  were 
standing  six  little  ones !  Generally  the  wolf,  like 
nearly  all  other  wild  animals,  will  run  instantly 
at  the  sight  of  a  human  being ;  but  the  maternal 
instinct  is  so  wonderful  that,  when  they  have 
young,  they  will  die  in  defending  their  offspring 
from  any  supposed  danger.  This  instinct  was 
shown  in  this  instance.  The  fierce  animal  had 
crept  out  of  her  den  at  the  sound  of  voices,  and 


58          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

believing  that  her  cubs  were  in  jeopardy,  she 
made  a  frantic  dash  toward  the  now  thoroughly 
frightened  girls,  who  hastily  scrambled  to  the 
summit  of  the  ledge. 

Fortunately  for  them,  the  wolf  is  a  poor 
climber,  but  with  a  savage  bound  toward  the 
base  of  the  flat  rock  on  which  the  girls  had  a 
moment  before  been  sitting,  she  arrived  at  it  the 
same  instant  they  had  succeeded  in  reaching  an 
elevation  of  about  twelve  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  water. 

Just  as  Kate,  who  was  not  as  collected  as  her 
sister,  was  being  dragged  up  by  Gertrude,  the 
wolf  made  a  desperate  leap  and  snapped  at  her 
with  his  terrible  teeth,  but  failed.  It  succeeded, 
however,  in  catching  her  skirt  in  its  ponderous 
jaws,  and  tore  it  completely  from  her  waist,  and 
she,  almost  feeling  the  hot  breath  of  the  infuri- 
ated brute,  uttered  a  loud  scream  and  fell  faint- 
ing in  her  sister's  arms. 

Less  than  three  hundred  yards  above  the  ledge 
of  rocks,  in  a  beautiful  piece  of  prairie,  Joe  was 
herding  the  cattle,  and  Kate's  cry,  so  full  of  fear, 
fell  piercingly  on  his  ears.  He  was  aware  that 
his  sisters  were  to  go  berrying  that  morning. 


A   FIGHT  WITH   A   WOLF  59 

and  he  also  knew  that  the  sound  could  only 
come  from  one  of  them.  He  was  lying  on  the 
grass  under  the  shade  of  a  big  elm  with  the 
bridle-rein  of  his  pony  in  his  hand.  Grasping 
his  rifle,  which  was  at  his  side,  in  an  instant  he 
had  mounted  his  animal,  and  digging  his  heels 
into  its  flanks,  fairly  flew  down  the  creek  to 
where  his  sisters  were  held  at  bay  by  the  wolf. 
He  arrived  there  in  less  than  three  minutes  after 
he  heard  the  scream  of  alarm,  and  saw  the  wolf 
still  persisting  in  its  vain  efforts  to  reach  the 
girls  on  the  summit  of  the  ledge.  Gertrude  was 
almost  paralyzed  with  fear,  and  Kate  lay  at  her 
feet  in  the  swoon  into  which  the  action  of  the 
wolf  had  thrown  her. 

The  enraged  beast  was  too  much  occupied 
with  the  girls  to  notice  that  its  would-be  victims 
had  assistance  so  near  at  hand,  and  Joe,  as  Ger- 
trude saw  her  brother's  approach,  put  his  finger 
to  his  lips,  indicating  that  she  must  remain  per- 
fectly silent.  He  dismounted  in  a  second,  and 
putting  the  loop  of  the  reins  over  his  left  arm, 
dropped  on  one  knee,  and  taking  careful  aim, 
sent  a  ball  crashing  right  through  the  brain  of 
the  wolf,  which  instantly  fell  dead  in  its  tracks, 


60         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Joe  then  rushed  down  to  the  creek  and  filled 
his  hat  with  water.  He  then  climbed  hurriedly 
up  to  the  rocky  steep  again  and  threw  the  water 
into  Kate's  face  as  she  still  lay  prone  on  the 
ledge  at  her  sister's  feet.  Kate  soon  revived,  and 
after  staring  around  her  for  a  few  seconds  in  a 
dazed  way,  she  smiled  and  said :  — 

"Oh,  Joe,  you  have  saved  us!"  and  rising  to 
her  feet,  forgetful  of  her  wet  face,  she  kissed 
him  half  a  dozen  times. 

While  his  sisters  were  adjusting  their  dresses 
and  recovering  from  their  terrible  fright,  Joe 
killed  the  young  wolves  with  the  butt  of  his 
rifle,  and  then  taking  his  knife  from  his  belt 
commenced  to  skin  the  old  one.  It  did  not  re- 
quire much  time  to  perform  the  operation,  for 
he  had  long  since  become  an  adept  at  such 
work.  He  then  threw  the  beautiful  hide  over 
the  withers  of  his  pony,  and  walked  home  with 
his  sisters. 

Arriving  at  the  cabin,  the  girls  had  much  to 
tell  about  their  wonderful  experience  and  lucky 
escape  from  the  jaws  of  the  wolf,  which  would 
certainly  have  torn  them  to  pieces  if  it  had  not 
been  for  Joe's  timely  arrival. 


A  FIGHT  WITH   A  WOLF  6 1 

The  hide,  which  was  an  immense  one,  was  first 
tacked  to  the  side  of  the  stable,  and  when  dried, 
Joe  smoke-tanned  it  until  it  was  as  soft  as  a  piece 
of  silk.  He  gave  it  to  Kate  as  a  memento  of  her 
awful  experience  with  its  former  owner.  She 
used  it  as  a  rug  at  the  side  of  her  bed,  and  often 
said  that  for  a  long  time  whenever  she  stepped 
on  it,  the  scene  in  which  it  played  such  an  im- 
portant part  was  brought  vividly  to  her  mind. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   FRIENDLY  PAWNEES  CAMP   ON   THE    OXHIDE  —  OLD   "YELLOW 
CALF,"   THE   CHIEF — JOE    IS    NAMED   "THE    WHITE    PANTHER" 

JOE     GOES    HUNTING    WITH    THE    BAND  —  HE    LEARNS    THE 

LANGUAGE — HUNTING  WITH  THE   BOYS  OF  THE  TRIBE 

THE  Pawnees  and  Kaws,  tribes  of  Indians  long 
at  peace  with  the  whites,  and  whose  reservations 
were  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state,  frequently 
made  incursions  into  the  buffalo  region  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  their  home  in  the  valley  of  the 
Neosho,  on  their  annual  hunt  for  their  winter's 
supply  of  meat.  The  valley  of  the  Oxhide  was 
one  of  their  favorite  camping-grounds,  and  from 
thence  they  radiated  in  bands  to  the  plains,  where 
the  vast  herds  of  the  great  shaggy  animals  grazed 
in  the  autumn  months,  on  their  curious  elliptical 
march  from  the  Yellowstone  to  the  southern  bor- 
der of  Texas. 

Every  autumn  these  Indians  camped  in  the 
timber  only  about  a  mile  from  Errolstrath  ranche, 

and  it  was  very  natural  that  the  boys,  especially 

62 


JOE   HUNTS   WITH   THE   PAWNEES  63 

Joe,  should  often  visit  their  temporary  village,  as 
it  was  decidedly  a  new  sensation  for  them.  The 
tepees,  or  lodges,  built  in  a  conical  shape  out  of 
long  poles  covered  with  well-tanned  buffalo  hides, 
were  a  never-ending  curiosity  to  Joe.  The  chief 
of  the  band,  Yellow  Calf,  an  old  man  nearly 
eighty  years  of  age,  took  a  great  fancy  to  Joe 
from  the  moment  he  first  saw  him.  As  soon  as 
he  became  acquainted  with  his  character  he  called 
him  "  White  Panther,"  after  the  strange  nomen- 
clature of  the  North  American  savage.  The  In- 
dians noticed  immediately  that  Joe  was  different 
from  the  majority  of  white  children  they  had  met, 
and  his  quickness  of  motion  was  the  reason  they 
named  him  as  they  did.  His  readiness  in  acquir- 
ing their  language,  which  he  almost  mastered  in 
a  few  months,  astonished  them.  Then  Joe  was 
always  kind  and  gentle  to  the  band,  often  bring- 
ing food  from  his  mother's  table  when  she  could 
give  it  to  him,  especially  bread  or  biscuit,  of  which 
old  Yellow  Calf  was  inordinately  fond.  At  the 
suggestion  of  the  chief,  the  closest  warriors  of  his 
council  took  great  delight  in  showing  their  new 
boy  friend  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow.  They 
taught  him  how  to  prepare  the  skins  of  animals 


64         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

he  shot ;  how  to  make  the  robe  of  the  buffalo  as 
soft  as  a  doeskin,  and  they  taught  him  how  to 
trap  beaver,  otter,  and  muskrat,  in  which  valuable 
fur-bearing  animals  all  the  streams  abounded. 
Yellow  Calf  would  sit  for  hours  talking  with  Joe, 
learning  from  him  all  about  the  strange  inven- 
tions of  the  white  man,  and  their  uses.  He  in 
turn  taught  the  boy  the  mysteries  of  the  beauti- 
ful sign  language,  so  wonderful  in  its  symbolism; 
and  the  manner  of  trailing,  so  that  in  a  few 
months  he  was  as  well  versed  in  the  methods  of 
following  an  enemy  on  the  warpath  as  the  sav- 
ages themselves. 

The  Indians  frequently  took  Joe  with  them  far 
up  the  Arkansas  valley  on  their  grand  hunts 
after  the  buffalo.  His  parents  readily  gave  their 
consent  to  his  going  with  his  red  friends,  though 
he  was  sometimes  absent  from  home  for  more 
than  a  week.  For  three  seasons  the  same  band 
of  Pawnees  had  their  village  on  the  creek,  re- 
maining there  during  the  months  of  September 
and  October  of  each  year.  All  that  time  Joe 
continued  his  intimacy  with  them,  and  became 
more  perfect  in  his  knowledge  of  their  savage 
methods.  He  could  follow  the  blindest  trail  by 


JOE  HUNTS  WITH  THE  PAWNEES  65 

day  or  night,  and  the  signs  of  the  various  hostile 
tribes  were  as  familiar  to  him  as  the  alphabet. 

He  had  been  carefully  trained  to  all  this 
knowledge  by  the  Pawnees,  who  were  the  heredi- 
tary enemies  of  the  Cheyennes  who  still  claimed 
sovereignty  over  the  great  plains.  Once,  in  fact, 
when  he  had  been  out  for  a  fortnight  with  his 
Indian  friends  on  a  buffalo  hunt,  the  party  was 
suddenly  met  by  a  band  of  Cheyennes,  and,  of 
course,  a  battle  ensued  to  which  Joe  was  a  wit- 
ness. After  the  fight  that  night,  when  the  band 
camped  on  the  Walnut,  he  saw  the  dances  of 
the  victorious  Pawnees  and  learned  a  great  deal 
about  savage  warfare. 

Shortly  after  the  advent  of  the  Pawnees  on  the 
Oxhide,  and  when  Joe  had  established  his  friendly 
relations  with  them,  although  he  could  shoot 
fairly  well  previously,  he  now  began  to  take  a 
special  delight  in  hunting.  Every  moment  he 
could  get  to  himself,  he  was  off  in  the  timber  or 
out  on  the  prairie  with  his  rifle  or  shot-gun. 
He  never  carried  these,  however,  unless  he 
hunted  alone,  as  on  many  occasions  he  was  ac- 
companied by  one  or  two  of  the  Pawnee  boys 
about  his  own  age  whom  the  band  had  brought 


66         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

with  them ;  young  bucks,  not  yet  old  enough  to 
have  reached  the  dignity  of  warriors.  They  had 
to  do  the  work  generally  assigned  to  the  women, 
for  no  squaws  were  with  the  band.  It  is  beneath 
a  warrior  to  do  anything  but  hunt,  eat,  smoke, 
and  go  to  war;  for  idleness  is  the  predominant 
characteristic  of  the  men  of  every  savage  race, 
and  the  Pawnees  were  no  exception. 

While  they  were  encamped  on  the  Oxhide  the 
warriors  scarcely  ever  left  the  delightful  place 
except,  of  course,  when  summoned  by  their  chief 
to  the  hunt.  They  sat  all  day  in  the  shadow 
of  their  lodges,  puffing  lazily  at  their  pipes  and 
relating  over  and  over  again  the  stories  of  their 
feats  in  personal  encounters  with  their  enemies, 
the  Cheyennes. 

The  North  American  Indians  are  very  assidu- 
ous in  teaching  their  boys  all  that  becomes  a 
great  warrior,  —  how  to  ride  the  wildest  horses, 
and  how  to  hunt  and  trap  every  variety  of  animal 
used  in  the  domestic  economy  of  their  families. 
The  very  moment  a  son  is  large  enough  to 
handle  them,  bows  and  arrows  are  constantly  in 
his  hands. 

As  the  Indians  had   only   a  few  poor   rifles, 


JOE   HUNTS   WITH   THE  PAWNEES  67 

whenever  Joe  went  out  with  his  dusky  young 
companions  on  a  hunt,  he,  too,  took  nothing  but 
his  bow  and  arrows  which  the  Pawnees  had  given 
him,  for  he  did  not  want  his  boy  friends  to  feel 
his  superiority  when  armed  with  the  white  man's 
weapons.  The  number  of  squirrels,  rabbits,  and 
game  birds  he  killed  in  a  single  day  would  have 
astonished  a  city-bred  boy. 

The  Pawnee  warriors,  flattered  by  Joe's  prefer- 
ence for  their  society  to  that  of  his  white  neigh- 
bors, made  him  the  very  finest  bows  and  arrows 
of  which  their  skill  was  capable.  They  looked 
forward  to  the  day  when  he  should  develop  into 
a  great  warrior,  and  hoped,  too,  that  the  time 
would  come  when,  becoming  tired  of  civilization, 
he  would  let  them  adopt  him  into  the  tribe. 
One  morning,  to  the  surprise  of  Joe,  the  old  chief 
despatched  a  runner  back  to  the  reservation 
with  orders  to  his  squaws  to  make  a  complete 
suit  of  buckskin  for  his  young  white  friend.  In 
about  two  weeks  when  the  messenger  returned 
to  the  camp  with  the  savage  dress,  Joe,  of  course, 
was  delighted  with  his  quaint  and  really  beauti- 
ful costume.  It  was  made  out  of  the  finest  doe- 
skin, elegantly  embroidered  with  beads ;  the 


68         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

seams  of  the  coat-sleeves  and  trousers  were 
fringed  in  the  most  approved  savage  fashion, 
while  the  moccasins  were  exquisitely  wrought 
with  the  quills  of  the  porcupine,  gayly  colored. 
There  were  also  given  the  boy  all  the  adjuncts  of 
a  warrior, — a  tomahawk,  medicine-bag,  tobacco- 
pouch,  powder-horn,  bullet-sack,  flint  and  steel, 
and,  last  of  all,  a  magnificent  calumet  manufact- 
ured of  the  red  stone  from  the  sacred  quarry  in 
far-off  Minnesota. 

Joe  had  never  mentioned  to  any  of  the  family, 
not  even  to  Rob,  what  was  in  store  for  him 
from  the  Pawnees.  To  make  the  surprise 
greater  to  the  household,  when  he  was  ready 
to  put  on  the  new  suit,  he  got  one  of  the  war- 
riors to  decorate  his  face  in  royal  savage  style, 
and  thus  metamorphosed,  he  walked  into  the 
cabin  one  noon,  just  as  the  family  were  about 
to  sit  down  to  dinner.  None  of  them  recog- 
nized him,  and  when  he  began  to  talk  in  the 
Pawnee  language,  not  a  word  of  which  any  of 
them  could  understand,  his  father  motioned 
him  to  take  a  seat  at  the  table  and  eat,  as  he 
had  often  done  to  the  real  Pawnees  on  their 
many  visits  to  the  ranche. 


JOE  HUNTS  WITH  THE  PAWNEES  69 

At  last  Joe  could  contain  himself  no  longer, 
and  he  cried  out  in  his  exultation  over  the  farce 
he  had  enacted :  "  Father,  mother,  Rob,  and  you 
girls,  don't  you  know  me  ?  " 

"  No ! "  they  all  answered  simultaneously,  but 
immediately  recognizing  his  voice,  now  that  he 
spoke  English,  his  mother  said  that  she  had 
never  suspected  for  a  moment  that  the  horrid- 
looking,  paint-bedaubed  creature  before  her  could 
be  her  own  child. 

Then  all  had  a  good  laugh  over  the  manner  in 
which  Joe  had  deceived  them,  but  his  father 
insisted  that  he  must  go  and  wash  the  paint 
from  his  face  before  he  thought  of  sitting  down 
to  eat  with  Christian  people;  he  could  allow  it 
in  the  case  of  a  real  savage,  because  they  did  not 
know  any  better. 

Joe  was  very  hungry,  for  he  had  been  out  hunt- 
ing grouse  on  the  hills  all  the  morning,  and  was 
tired,  too,  so  he  hastily  obeyed  his  father's  injunc- 
tion. He  ran  to  the  spring,  and  by  vigorously 
rubbing  at  the  various  colors,  he  at  last  succeeded 
in  getting  his  face  clean.  In  a  few  moments  he 
returned  to  the  dining-room  looking  like  himself 
again,  but  very  stately,  by  reason  of  his  brand- 


7O         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

new  suit ;  and  the  family  could  not  help  staring 
at  and  admiring  him.  Then,  when  he  had  taken 
his  place  at  the  table,  he  was  obliged  to  tell  how 
he  had  happened  to  acquire  such  a  fantastic 
dress,  and  explain  the  use  of  each  curious  article 
belonging  to  it. 

Gertrude  and  Kate  both  hoped  that  he  would 
not  wear  the  handsome  clothes  every  day,  and 
his  mother  suggested  that  he  must  never  go  to 
the  village  in  such  a  savage  dress.  His  father 
said  nothing,  but  evidently  regarded  his  boy  with 
pride. 

In  reply  to  the  various  comments,  Joe  told  the 
family  that  he  intended  to  wear  the  Indian  cos- 
tume only  on  extraordinary  occasions.  If  ever 
the  Cheyennes,  Kiowas,  Comanches,  or  Arapa- 
hoes  broke  out,  he  would  certainly  wear  it,  for 
when  those  savages  saw  him,  they  would  think  he 
was  a  great  warrior,  and  be  careful  how  they 
bothered  him.  The  family  little  thought,  as  he 
uttered  his  playful  remarks,  how  soon  that  uni- 
form would  be  worn  on  a  mission  fraught  with 
danger  to  themselves  and  the  whole  settlement. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  MASSACRE  ON  SPILLMAN  CREEK  —  SCOUTS  GO 
TO  THE  RESCUE  —  JOE  AND  ROB  TALK  OVER  THE  HORRID 
WORK  OF  THE  SAVAGES  —  THE  DOG  SOLDIERS  —  CHARLEY 

BENT  —  PLACE    OF    RENDEZVOUS  —  PARTY   STARTS    OUT JOE'S 

OPINION   IS  ASKED 

THE  family  had  lived  on  their  comfortable 
ranche  on  the  Oxhide  for  nearly  three  years. 
During  the  whole  of  this  period  the  valley  had 
been  most  happily  exempt  from  any  raid  by 
the  hostile  Indians  farther  west,  who  for  all 
that  time  had  made  incursions  into  the  sparse 
settlements  not  a  hundred  miles  away,  devasta- 
ting the  country  from  Nebraska  on  the  north 
to  the  border  of  Texas  on  the  south. 

General  Sheridan  had  been  ordered  by  the 
Government  to  the  command  of  the  Military 
Department  of  the  Missouri,  with  headquarters 
at  Fort  Leavenworth.  The  already  famous 
General  Custer  with  his  celebrated  regiment, 
the  Seventh  United  States  Cavalry,  was  sta- 

71 


72         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

tioned  at  Fort  Harker,  recently  established  on 
the  Smoky  Hill,  about  four  miles  from  Errol- 
strath  ranche,  so  the  settlers  on  the  Oxhide,  and 
through  the  valley,  felt  comparatively  safe  from 
any  possible  raid  by  the  savages  into  that  region. 

One  beautiful  Sunday  afternoon  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  May  following  the  autumn  in  which 
Joe  had  received  his  present  of  a  full  Indian 
dress  from  the  friendly  Pawnees,  the  family 
were  sitting  on  the  veranda  of  the  cabin. 
Dinner  was  long  since  over,  and  Mr.  Thomp- 
son was  reading  aloud  from  their  weekly  relig- 
ious journal,  when  a  horseman  suddenly  ap- 
peared, coming  toward  the  ranche  on  the  trail 
which  led  from  the  mouth  of  the  Oxhide  where 
it  empties  into  the  Smoky  Hill.  He  was  hat- 
less  and  coatless,  his  long  hair  was  streaming 
in  the  wind,  and  his  heels  were  rapping  his 
horse's  flanks  vigorously,  and  its  breast  and 
shoulders  were  covered  with  foam  from  the 
desperate  gait  at  which  it  was  urged. 

The  reading  was  instantly  suspended,  and 
every  eye  strained  toward  the  unusual  object 
coming  toward  the  house  at  such  a  breakneck 
speed- 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  73 

"  I  wonder  who  that  is,  and  why  he  rides  so 
fast,"  inquired  Mr.  Thompson,  addressing  him- 
self to  no  one  in  the  group  in  particular. 

"  Something  unusual  must  have  occurred," 
suggested  Mrs.  Thompson ;  "  some  one  of  the 
neighbors  taken  ill  suddenly,  maybe." 

"  It's  "no  one  we  know,"  spoke  up  Joe.  "  I 
never  saw  that  man  before,"  the  individual 
under  discussion  having  come  near  enough 
now  for  his  features  to  be  distinguished,  "nor 
the  horse  he's  on,  and  I  know  every  man  and 
horse  in  the  whole  settlement.  There's  some 
trouble  not  far  away,  I  think,  or  he  would  not 
run  his  animal  that  way." 

In  less  than  three  minutes  more,  the  stranger 
horseman  rode  up  to  the  front  of  the  house 
and  jumped  off  his  horse.  Hurriedly  tying  him 
to  the  hitching-post,  he  ran  up.  the  steps  of 
the  veranda,  and  in  the  most  excited  manner, 
his  eyes  wearing  a  wild  look  and  his  breath 
coming  with  great  difficulty,  told  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, who  had  walked  forward  to  meet  him,  that 
the  Indians  had  completely  destroyed  the  little 
settlement  of  Spillman  Creek  that  morning 
about  daylight.  He  alone,  as  far  as  he  knew, 


74  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE   OXHIDE 

had  escaped  the  massacre.  He  said  that  luckilj 
he  happened  to  be  down  in  the  timber,  getting 
some  wood  for  his  morning  fire,  and  the  sav- 
ages did  not  see  him.  He  had  his  pony  with 
him,  and  when  he  saw  the  Indians  all  dressed 
in  their  war-bonnets  and  hideously  painted,  he 
rode  to  the  river  and  across  country  as  fast  as 
his  animal  could  carry  him. 

"  How  many  families  are  there  in  the  settle- 
ment?" inquired  Mr.  Thompson. 

"About  ten,"  answered  the  stranger;  "forty 
individuals,  perhaps,  and  all  of  them,  I  feel  sat- 
isfied, have  been  murdered  and  their  cabins 
burnt,  because  I  saw  the  smoke  and  flames 
from  the  trail  on  the  south  side  of  the  Saline 
as  I  rode  hurriedly  on." 

"Had  you  no  family?"  asked  Mrs.  Thompson, 
excitedly,  in  her  sympathy  for  the  unfortunate 
people  who  had  been  so  cruelly  massacred. 

"  No,  ma'am,"  answered  the  stranger.  "  I  was 
living  all  alone  on  my  claim,  which  I  had  taken 
up  only  a  week  ago,  on  the  edge  of  the  timber. 
My  family  are  still  back  in  Illinois,  thank  God ! 
or  they,  too,  with  myself,  would  have  been  butch- 
ered with  the  rest,  for  I  would  never  have  left 
them." 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  75 

"  Do  you  think  the  savages  will  continue  on 
their  raid,  and  come  further  down  the  Saline 
valley?"  inquired  Mr.  Thompson,  who  now  for 
the  first  time  since  he  had  been  on  his  ranche, 
felt  a  little  alarmed  for  his  family. 

"  I  don't  know,"  was  the  reply,  "  but  I'm  afraid 
they  will.  The  Elkhorn  is  fairly  settled,  but  the 
cabins  are  widely  scattered ;  the  Indians  know 
that,  and  before  the  neighbors  could  rally  for 
mutual  defence,  the  savages  might  be  able  to 
murder  them  in  detail.  I  have  come  down 
here  to  warn  the  settlers  on  this  creek,  and  if  I 
can,  to  get  a  party  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  those 
on  the  Elkhorn.  I  stopped  at  Fort  Marker  on 
my  way  and  reported  to  the  commanding  officer 
the  state  of  affairs,  but  he  said  that  he  had 
only  part  of  a  company  of  infantry  at  the  post, 
all  the  cavalry  being  out  under  General  Custer, 
looking  after  the  Indians  'way  up  the  Smoky 
Hill.  He  suggested  that  I  should  come  here 
to  inform  you  people  of  the  danger,  and  that, 
if  I  could  muster  up  a  crowd  of  men,  he 
would  furnish  all  the  arms  and  ammunition  nec- 
essary for  them.  He  also  said  that  General 
Sheridan  was  coming  to  Fort  Harker  in  a  few 


76          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

days  to  establish  his  headquarters  there,  and  that 
a  general  Indian  war  was  imminent." 

"  Have  you  any  idea  how  many  of  the  sav- 
ages there  were  in  the  band  that  raided  Spillman 
Creek  settlement  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Thompson. 

"  I  think  there  must  have  been  about  fifty. 
I  counted  their  pony  tracks  in  the  soft  mud  at 
the  ford  of  the  Saline  where  they  crossed  it; 
they  were  very  plain,  and  I  was  enabled  to  come 
close  to  their  probable  number.  If  you  could 
muster  twenty  or  thirty  men,  well  armed,  who 
are  brave,  and  good  shots  with  the  rifle,  I  be- 
lieve that  if  they  start  for  the  Elkhorn  to-day, 
they  could  circumvent  the  savages  before  they 
reach  the  creek,  or  at  least  drive  them  out  of 
the  neighborhood.  I  am  ready  to  go  back  with 
them  and  act  as  guide,  for  I  know  every  foot  of 
the  country,  having  spent  a  whole  year  out  there 
before  I  settled  upon  a  location.  Who  are  the 
best  men  in  this  settlement,  and  where  shall  I 
go  to  warn  them  ? " 

"  Well,"  replied  Mr.  Thompson,  "  I  am  will- 
ing to  go  for  one.  I  guess  there  will  be  no 
difficulty  in  gathering  as  large  a  force  as  is 
necessary  —  good  shots,  too;  for  no  one  will  hesi- 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  77 

tate  a  moment  when  it  comes  to  defending  his 
family  from  an  Indian  raid.  It  will  take  a 
couple  of  hours  to  ride  around  the  neighbor- 
hood  to  the  several  ranches  to  notify  the  men. 
My  boys,  here,  can  go  to  the  nearest,  while  you 
and  I  ride  to  the  most  remote  and  get  as  large 
a  crowd  as  possible.  Boys,"  continued  he,  turn- 
ing to  his  sons,  who  stood  with  eyes  wide  open 
and  mouth  agape  as  they  listened  with  aston- 
ishment to  the  terrible  story  of  the  stranger, 
"  get  your  ponies  at  once ;  saddle  them  as 
quickly  as  ever  you  did  in  your  lives,  and  ride 
to  the  nearest  ranches  on  the  creek;  up  one 
side  and  down  the  other.  Tell  all  the  folks 
the  dreadful  news,  and  tell  them  to  have  the 
men  meet  here  at  Errolstrath  as  quickly  as  they 
can,  and  to  bring  their  rifles  with  them.  All  are 
well  armed,"  said  he,  turning  to  the  stranger, 
"and  they  will  respond  in  a  hurry." 

"  Now,"  said  Mr.  Thompson,  as  the  boys 
jumped  off  of  the  veranda  to  carry  out  their 
father's  order,  "  I  will  go  with  you  to  old  Tucker's 
ranche.  He  is  a  man  of  most  excellent  judg- 
ment, and  a  trapper;  has  fought  Indians  all  his 
eventful  life  on  the  plains  and  in  the  mountains, 


78         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

so  we  can  safely  rely  on  his  advice  in  regard  to 
what  is  best  to  be  done."  Looking  at  his  wife 
he  said,  "  Won't  you  get  this  man  a  bite  to  eat 
while  I'm  catching  another  animal  for  him? 
Yours  is  tired  out,"  continued  he,  addressing 
the  stranger  again ;  "  you  must  have  a  fresh  horse. 
I've  got  lots  of  them." 

While  Mr.  Thompson  went  to  the  stable,  and 
the  stranger  to  the  spring  to  wash  the  dust  off 
himself,  Mrs.  Thompson,  assisted  by  Gertrude 
and  Kate,  made  ready  a  cold  lunch  for  the  half- 
famished  man,  who  told  them,  when  he  returned 
to  the  dining-room,  that  he  had  not  eaten  a 
morsel  since  the  evening  before. 

By  the  time  he  had  finished  his  meal,  Mr. 
Thompson  returned  to  the  front  of  the  house 
with  two  animals,  and  taking  the  stranger's  horse 
to  the  stable,  after  the  saddle  had  been  put  on  the 
fresh  one,  he  returned  to  the  house.  He  gave 
his  wife  some  advice  about  the  boys  and  their 
mission,  then  he  and  the  stranger  mounted  their 
animals  and  loped  off  at  a  good  gait  for  the 
ranche  of  old  Mr.  Tucker,  three  miles  away. 

The  boys  had  started  some  while  before  their 
father,  as  it  only  required  a  few  minutes  to  catch 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  79 

and  saddle  their  ponies  that  were  picketed  in 
front  of  the  house,  on  a  patch  of  buffalo  grass 
not  twenty  yards  away.  In  less  than  half  an 
hour  they  were  at  the  nearest  ranche,  and  had 
delivered  their  message.  They  then  rode  on  and 
made  the  rounds  of  the  circuit  assigned  them, 
relating  the  bad  news  as  they  travelled  from 
cabin  to  cabin  as  quickly  as  their  hardy  little 
Indian  ponies  could  carry  them. 

While  on  their  mission  the  boys  talked  over 
the  story  of  the  massacre,  Joe  explaining  many 
things  in  connection  with  the  savage  method  of 
making  a  raid  on  a  white  settlement.  Those 
were  things  which  Rob  did  not  fully  understand, 
but  with  which  Joe  was  familiar,  having  been 
told  all  about  them  by  the  friendly  Pawnees. 
He  told  Rob  that  he  was  crazy  to  go  on  the 
little  expedition,  but  did  not  dare  ask  permis- 
sion. 

"Father  might  be  willing,  maybe,"  suggested 
Rob,  "  though  I'm  sure  that  mother  and  the  girls 
would  object." 

"  I'll  bet  that  I  can  find  the  trail  of  the  Chey- 
ennes,  for  I  know  better  than  any  one  who  is 
going  along,  that  they  were  Cheyennes  who  made 


80         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

the  attack/'  said  Joe.  "  That  man  who  came 
down  with  the  news  don't  know  much  about 
Indians ;  I  could  tell  that  by  the  way  he  talked ; 
he's  a  '  tender-foot/  He  admitted  to  papa  he'd 
only  been  in  the  country  a  very  short  time." 

"  By  jolly !  I'll  bet  he  was  scared  when  he  saw 
those  Indians,"  said  Rob ;  "  he  wasn't  used  to 
such  sights ! " 

"  How  he  must  have  ridden  his  horse,"  said 
Joe.  "  I  never  saw  an  animal  so  frothy  in  my 
life  before;  did  you,  Rob?  You  could  have 
scraped  a  wash-tub  of  lather  off  him !  " 

"  If  the  Cheyennes  have  left  any  kind  of  a  trail 
after  them,  I  can  tell  just  how  many  there  were 
of  them,"  continued  Joe,  "  but  they  are  ahead  of 
all  other  Indians  in  covering  up  their  tracks; 
old  Yellow  Calf  has  told  me  so  a  dozen  times.  I 
expect  that  it  was  Charley  Bent's  band  of  Dog 
soldiers  that  made  the  raid." 

"  What  are  Dog  soldiers  ?  "  inquired  Rob. 

"  Why,  the  young  bucks  of  a  tribe  who  will 
not  obey  the  orders  of  their  chief;  renegades  who 
will  not  be  controlled  by  any  custom.  Those 
Indians  who  have  not  done  anything  yet  to  make 
them  warriors,  and  who  go  off  on  their  own  hook 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  8 1 

to  murder  and  steal,  and  to  fire  the  cabins  of  the 
poor  settlers,  thinking  that  if  they  can  get  a  few 
scalps  of  women  and  children  they  will  be  recog- 
nized by  the  rest  of  the  tribe  as  braves.  Some- 
times there  are  '  Squaw-men '  among  them,  that 
is,  white  men  who  have  married  Indian  women ; 
generally  bad  men  who  have  committed  some 
crime  where  they  used  to  live  and  dare  not  go 
back  to  where  they  came  from." 

"Who  is  Charley  Bent?"  asked  Rob.  "That 
is  not  an  Indian  name,  surely!  " 

"  I  know  it  isn't,"  answered  Joe.  "  He's  a  half 
breed ;  half  white  and  half  Cheyenne.  His 
mother  was  a  Cheyenne  squaw,  and  his  father 
was  Colonel  Bent,  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
frontiersmen  of  his  time.  Charley  was  well  edu- 
cated in  St.  Louis,  but  when  he  returned  to  his 
father's  home,  at  Bent's  Fort,  way  up  the  Arkan- 
sas River,  in  what  is  now  Colorado,  he  threw  off 
the  white  man's  dress  and  manner  of  living, 
joined  the  Indians,  and  became,  in  his  devilish- 
ness,  the  worst  savage  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
Indian  country.  The  United  States  Govern- 
ment has  offered  a  thousand  dollars  for  him, 
dead  or  alive.  Somebody  will  catch  him  yet; 


82          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

the  army  scouts  are  after  him  red  hot,  so  the 
Pawnees  told  me." 

"  I  wish  the  Pawnees,  lots  of  'em,  were  back  on 
the  creek,  Joe,"  said  Rob,  continuing  the  lively 
conversation  they  had  been  keeping  up  ever  since 
they  started  from  the  ranche;  "wouldn't  they  like 
such  a  chance  to  go  after  their  old  enemies  ?  " 

"  I  expect  they  will  be  here  sooner  than  usual, 
this  coming  autumn;  one  of  the  boys  told  me 
so  when  the  band  left ;  but  it  will  be  four  months 
yet  before  we  may  look  for  them." 

"Are  you  going  to  ask  to  go  with  the  party 
to  the  Elkhorn,  Joe  ?  "  asked  Rob  of  his  brother. 

"  No,  I  think  not.  I  intend  to  be  still  unless 
some  of  the  crowd  drop  a  hint  they'd  like  to  have 
me  along;  then  I'll  speak  out." 

By  four  o'clock  the  boys  returned  to  the 
ranche,  having  warned  twelve  families  of  the 
impending  danger.  All  the  men  expressed  their 
readiness  to  go  with  Mr.  Thompson  and  the 
others  to  circumvent  the  savages  on  their  raid. 
When  Joe  and  Rob  had  turned  their  ponies  out 
to  graze  and  went  back  to  the  house  again,  they 
found  a  dozen  men  there  already,  waiting  for  the 
return  of  their  father  and  the  stranger.  The 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  83 

anxious  group  sat  on  the  veranda,  discussing 
the  state  of  affairs,  suggesting  to  each  other  what 
course  should  be  pursued  concerning  those  set- 
tlers who  would  have  to  remain  in  the  valley  with 
their  wives  and  children.  Uncle  Dick  Smith,  as 
he  was  familiarly  called,  an  old  man  with  white 
hair  and  long  white  beard,  who  had  had  some 
experience  with  the  savages  in  his  earlier  days 
in  Wisconsin,  suggested  that  while  the  scouting 
party  were  absent,  Job  Wilkersin's  stone  corral 
would  be  the  best  place  for  the  settlers  to  ren- 
dezvous in  case  the  Indians  came  down  into  the 
valley  of  the  Oxhide.  After  some  discussion, 
however,  it  was  agreed  to  let  the  question  remain 
open  until  Mr.  Thompson  and  the  other  men 
should  arrive. 

A  short  time  before  sundown  a  group  of  horse- 
men could  be  seen  coming  down  the  trail  from 
the  north.  They  were  those  for  whom  the  crowd 
at  Errolstrath  were  anxiously  looking.  When 
they  rode  up  to  the  house,  headed  by  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, they  dismounted,  fastened  their  horses  to 
trees,  and  after  a  hurried  meal  which  the  girls 
had  been  getting  ready  during  their  father's 
absence,  they  all  adjourned  to  the  lawn  outside 


84         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

of  the  veranda,  and  the  subject  was  renewed 
as  to  what  those  should  do  who  were  compelled 
to  remain  behind  on  the  Oxhide.  Mr.  Wilkersin 
was  among  them,  and  as  he  stated  his  house  was 
the  largest  in  the  neighborhood,  and  his  big 
stone  corral  a  grand  place  for  defence  in  case  the 
savages  continued  on  their  raid,  it  was  agreed 
to  rendezvous  there.  Twenty  determined  men 
in  the  corral  could  keep  off  a  hundred  Indians, 
and  besides  there  was  food  enough  at  his  house 
for  every  one  who  should  go  there.  He  further 
said  that  he  would  be  glad  to  assist  his  friends 
thus  much  in  trying  times  like  these. 

Rob,  who  was  familiar  with  the  location  of 
every  cabin  in  the  settlement,  was  immediately 
despatched  on  a  fresh  horse  to  call  on  the  people 
and  communicate  the  result  of  the  conference. 
He  was  to  tell  them  where  to  go  in  the  event  of 
the  Indians  coming  into  Oxhide  valley  after  the 
scouting  party  had  left  for  the  Elkhorn. 

There  were  about  thirty  men  who  were  obliged 
to  remain  at  home;  too  old  to  undertake  the 
fatigue  of  the  long  night's  ride  contemplated. 
They  were  all  excellent  shots,  many  of  them  hav- 
ing been  pioneers  in  the  settlement  of  the  states 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  8$ 

east  of  the  Mississippi  when  they  constituted  the 
far  West. 

When  all  the  men  who  could  be  mustered  for 
the  expedition  had  arrived  at  Errolstrath,  there 
were  about  fifty.  Old  man  Tucker  was  unani- 
mously chosen  for  their  leader,  with  the  title,  by 
courtesy,  of  captain.  He  was  a  man  nearly  sixty- 
five  years  old,  but  had  been  early  recognized  by  the 
settlers  of  the  valley  as  one  to  whom  they  could 
look  whenever  the  affairs  of  the  neighborhood 
demanded  the  exercise  of  good  judgment  or  sound 
advice.  He  was  well  educated,  having  graduated 
at  Yale,  but  after  graduation  a  quarrel  with  his 
father  resulted  in  his  drifting  out  on  the  frontier, 
where  his  life  had  been  that  of  a  trapper  and 
hunter.  He  was  as  active  as  any  of  the  young 
men,  so  his  age  in  this  case  did  not  militate 
against  him.  He  was  the  best  rifle-shot  in  the 
valley,  and  if,  like  Davy  Crockett,  he  failed  to  hit 
a  squirrel  in  the  eye,  "  it  didn't  count ! " 

The  stranger  from  Spillman  Creek  was  named 
Alderdyce,  as  he  had  informed  Mr.  Thompson 
while  on  the  trip  with  him,  and,  as  many  of  those 
who  now  met  him  for  the  first  time  desired  to 
hear  his  story,  he  related  the  details  of  the  horrid 


86          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

massacre  again.  At  its  sickening  recital  a  ma 
jority  became  impatient  of  delay,  and  wanted  to 
start  on  the  trail  of  the  savages  at  once,  although 
the  whole  valley  was  flooded  with  the  golden 
glow  of  sunset. 

Joe  stood  modestly  in  the  crowd,  eagerly  drink- 
ing in  the  awful  story  told  by  Mr.  Alderdyce,  and 
he  noticed  how  anxious  the  scouting  party  was 
to  get  away.  He  knew  that  this  would  be  the 
height  of  absurdity  until  night  had  closed  in,  and 
in  all  probability  would  defeat  the  very  object  of 
the  expedition,  so  he  ventured  to  suggest  that  it 
would  be  better  to  wait  until  after  dark. 

Old  Mr.  Tucker  knew  as  well  as  the  boy's 
father  that  Joe's  judgment  in  matters  relating  to 
savage  methods  when  on  the  war-path  was  far  in 
advance  of  his  sixteen  years.  His  ideas  and 
opinions  commanded  a  consideration  his  age  did 
not  otherwise  warrant,  so  the  keen  observation 
he  had  developed  since  his  intimacy  with  the 
Pawnees,  and  the  astuteness  he  had  imbibed  from 
them,  caused  Mr.  Tucker  to  ask  the  boy's  rea- 
sons for  his  suggestion. 

Joe  replied  hesitatingly:  "  I  believe  it's  better 
to  wait  until  dark.  The  runners,  as  their  spies 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  8/ 

are  called,  of  the  hostile  band,  are,  I  honestly 
think,  at  this  moment  stationed  on  some  of  the 
highest  points  of  the  valley.  They  are  watching 
to  learn  if  there  will  be  any  demonstration  made 
against  the  raiding  band  from  this  settlement. 
If  this  is  true,  and  I  believe  it  is,  they  should 
not  be  permitted  to  see  our  party  start  out.  If 
they  do  discover  that  a  number  of  mounted  men 
are  riding  on  the  prairie,  they  will  hang  on  their 
trail,  keep  the  main  band  warned  of  every  move- 
ment, and  you  could  not  effect  anything.  In 
that  case  you  might  as  well  stay  at  home." 

Upon  these  hints  so  forcibly  thrown  out  by 
Joe,  nearly  every  one  at  once  coincided  with  his 
opinion,  and  the  captain  decided  to  act  upon  the 
boy's  judgment. 

Joe,  who  was  always  an  attentive  listener, 
rarely  obtruded  his  ideas  into  the  conversation 
of  his  elders ;  in  reality  he  was  of  rather  a  reti- 
cent disposition,  a  trait  generally  indicative  of 
bravery,  but  he  was  ever  ready  to  venture  an 
opinion  when  asked  for  it,  fearlessly  and  in  great 
earnestness.  So  during  the  discussion  of  the 
supposed  details  of  the  morning's  massacre,  Cap- 
tain Tucker  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  the 


88          THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

probability  of  the  savages  coming  down  to  the 
Elkhorn  from  the  scene  of  their  raid  on  the 
Spillman. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Tucker,"  replied  Joe,  "  distance  is 
never  considered  by  an  Indian.  If  a  band  start 
on  a  raid  and  are  successful  at  the  beginning, 
they  will  keep  on  a  dozen  miles  or  five  hundred ; 
it  makes  no  difference  to  them ;  they'll  wear  out 
any  animal  but  a  wolf.  If  the  massacre  was  com- 
plete, as  Mr.  Alderdyce  thinks,  they  will  probably 
keep  right  on  murdering,  scalping,  and  firing  the 
cabins,  until  they  get  a  setback.  My  own  opin- 
ion is  that  they  will  go  down  to  the  Elkhorn 
or  some  other  place  where  there  is  a  settlement, 
and  if  successful  again,  will  continue  on  and 
come  to  the  Oxhide,  perhaps,  now  they  have 
tasted  blood.  But  if  they  have  met  with  a 
repulse  anywhere,  or  learn  that  the  United  States 
troops  are  after  them,  they  may  abandon  their 
raid  and  be  now  a  hundred  miles  on  the  trail 
to  their  village." 

Joe  was  evidently  fidgety;  he  wanted  to  go 
along,  and  as  the  captain  and  his  father  had 
questioned  him  so  earnestly  on  such  important 
matters,  he  thought  he  had  a  right  to  be  one  of 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  89 

the  party;  still,  he  said  nothing  until  Captain 
Tucker,  noticing  the  boy's  anxious  countenance, 
asked  him  if  he  would  like  to  go  with  them. 

Joe  answered  very  quickly  in  the  affirmative, 
but  it  was  with  much  hesitancy  that  his  parents 
gave  their  consent.  The  neighbors  gathered  at 
the  ranche,  however,  importuned  very  earnestly 
in  his  favor,  declaring  that  the  success  of  the  ex- 
pedition might  depend  materially  upon  their 
decision  whether  the  boy  should  go  or  not.  Of 
course,  to  resist  such  an  appeal  was  out  of  the 
question,  coming  as  it  did  almost  unanimously 
from  their  friends,  so  Joe  was  permitted  to  ac- 
company the  party. 

Hurriedly  did  the  delighted  boy  go  out  to  the 
corral  and  saddle  his  favorite  pony,  a  coal-black 
little  animal,  very  swift,  full  of  endurance,  sure- 
footed as  a  mule,  and  as  obedient  to  the  touch  of 
its  young  master's  hand  and  legs  as  a  well-trained 
circus  horse.  Soon  returning,  he  tied  him  with 
the  other  animals  to  a  tree  and  then  went  into  the 
house  to  prepare  himself  for  the  venturesome  trip. 

Coming  back  on  the  veranda  in  a  few  mo- 
ments dressed  in  the  buckskin  suit  given  him  by 
the  old  chief  Yellow  Calf,  he  looked  the  very  im- 


go         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

personation  of  a  veteran  frontiersman,  and  but 
for  his  childish  face  might  have  passed  for  a 
veritable  army  scout.  He  slung  his  rifle  across 
the  horn  of  his  saddle ;  its  complement  of  bullets 
in  his  pouch  he  fastened  to  the  cantle,  while  the 
powder-flask  was  suspended  by  a  cord  thrown 
over  his  shoulder.  He  also  carried  his  flint  and 
steel,  thinking  he  might  have  occasion  to  use  it, 
and  with  a  small  lantern  was  ready  for  whatever 
he  might  be  called  upon  to  do. 

As  the  welcome  darkness  would  not  come  for 
an  hour  yet,  the  party  kept  their  animals  con- 
cealed in  the  thick  timber  near  the  cabin.  They 
sat  quietly  in  the  shadow  of  the  veranda,  so  that 
if  there  were  any  of  the  hostile  spies  in  the  vicin- 
ity, as  Joe  had  suggested  there  might  be,  they 
would  not  be  able  to  observe  any  unusual  demon- 
stration on  the  place,  as  the  house  was  com- 
pletely masked  by  the  giant  trees  surrounding  it. 

By  eight  o'clock  it  was  dark  enough  to  venture 
out,  and  the  party  quietly  mounted  their  horses, 
and  strung  out  in  single  file  down  the  narrow 
trail  leading  from  the  ranche  to  the  ford  of  the 
Smoky  Hill.  Tucker,  Joe,  and  Alderdyce  were 
at  the  head  of  the  line.  Every  one  was  familiar 


8 


'He  looked  the  very  impersonation  of  a  veteran  frontiersman. 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  91 

with  the  trail  as  far  as  the  river,  for  it  was  the 
main  travelled  track  to  the  village  of  Ellsworth. 
It  was  six  miles  from  Errolstrath,  and  contained 
a  general  store,  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  the  post 
office  for  all  the  surrounding  country. 

The  ford  crossed  the  Smoky  Hill  about  two 
miles  east  of  the  little  hamlet,  but  the  party  did 
not  follow  the  trail  up  the  river.  They  took  a 
shorter  cut  over  the  hills  bordering  the  stream 
where  there  was  a  series  of  buffalo  paths  running 
northward  in  the  direction  they  wanted  to  go. 
They  thus  saved  a  detour  of  three  or  four  miles, 
an  important  consideration  where  time  was  of  the 
greatest  consequence.  The  buffalo  paths  all 
came  out  on  the  other  side  of  the  high  divide 
separating  the  Saline  from  the  Smoky  Hill.  A 
short  distance  beyond  the  summit  of  the  ridge, 
and  down  a  gradual  slope,  was  one  of  the  valleys 
of  the  several  tributaries  which  gave  the  many- 
branched  stream  called  the  Elkhorn,  its  sugges- 
tive name. 

After  the  party  had  forded  the  Smoky  Hill, 
the  country  was  unknown  to  all  excepting  Alder- 
dyce  and  Joe.  The  latter  had  often  accompanied 
the  Pawnees  on  their  hunts  as  far  as  the  Saline 


92         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

and  Paradise  creeks,  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
Oxhide. 

All  had  been  travelling  up  to  that  point  in 
groups  of  twos  and  threes  on  the  flat  river  bottom, 
but  now  again  they  strung  out  in  Indian  file,  fol- 
lowing Joe  and  Alderdyce  slowly  up  the  divide 
and  down  on  the  other  side.  They  then  all  moved 
out  more  rapidly  into  a  short,  quick  lope  as  the 
ground  was  more  level  for  several  miles.  At  the 
end  of  the  level  stretch  they  halted,  as  they  were 
approaching  the  beginning  of  the  limestone 
region. 

Following  Joe's  advice  they  dismounted  and 
muffled  the  hoofs  of  their  horses  with  gunny 
sacks  which  they  had  brought  for  that  purpose, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  sound  of  the  animals'  feet 
from  being  heard  by  any  of  the  savage  runners. 

This  wise  precaution  was  frequently  employed 
by  the  scouts  of  the  army  with  General  Sheridan 
during  his  celebrated  winter  campaign  against 
the  allied  tribes  of  the  plains,  when  the  troops 
were  obliged  to  travel  at  night  through  the 
enemy's  country. 

It  was  soon  after  they  had  passed  the  limestone 
region  that  a  heavy  rolling  prairie,  over  which 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  93 

the  trail  ran  up  one  slope  and  down  another  of 
the  rocky  divides,  separated  the  narrow  intervales 
between.  Most  of  the  time  it  was  a  hard,  killing 
pace  for  the  poor  horses,  as  they  had  travelled  for 
hours  continuously  without  a  halt,  excepting  to 
muffle  their  feet.  The  settlement  must  be 
reached  before  daylight,  or  perhaps  it  would  be 
too  late  to  thwart  the  murderous  schemes  of  the 
Indians,  who  always  chose  the  early  hours  of  the 
dawn  in  which  to  commit  their  atrocities.  At 
that  time  when  sleep  oppresses  most  heavily,  life 
and  death  were  the  issue,  and  the  tired  animals 
could  not  be  mercifully  spared.  Would  they  be 
able  to  hold  out  with  ten  miles  of  the  same  cruel 
lope  ahead  of  them,  before  the  breaks  of  the 
main  Elkhorn  would  be  reached  ? 

There  was  an  hour  more  of  severe  riding, 
during  which  the  heels  of  the  riders  and  the 
sharp  sting  of  the  quirt  were  often  called  into 
requisition  to  urge  the  jaded  animals  on  to  their 
hard  duty.  They  were  flecked  with  foam,  their 
nostrils  distended,  and  they  were  almost  worn 
out  when  the  terribly  earnest  men  rode  down  the 
last  divide  into  the  grassy  bottom  of  the  first 
branch  of  the  main  Elkhorn. 


94  THE   RANCHE   ON  THE   OXHIDE 

The  faintest  streaks  of  the  coming  dawn  were 
beginning  to  show  themselves;  the  summits  of 
the  Twin  Mounds,  capped  with  white  limestone, 
already  reflected  the  rosy  tinge  of  the  rising  sun, 
which  was  still  far  below  the  horizon  of  the  val- 
ley. The  beautiful  intervales,  through  which 
the  party  urged  their  horses,  were  covered  with 
buffalo  grass,  and  at  the  farther  end,  not  quite 
half  a  mile  distant,  the  fringe  of  timber  border- 
ing the  creek  could  be  distinguished  as  its  dark 
contour  cast  a  still  blacker  shadow  over  the  som- 
bre valley. 

There  the  party  halted  for  a  few  moments  to 
reconnoitre.  Captain  Tucker  again  had  occasion 
to  interrogate  Joe.  He  inquired  of  the  young 
trailer  what  would  be  the  first  acts  of  the  savages 
when  they  arrived  in  the  valley  of  the  Elkhorn, 
if  indeed  they  came  at  all. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Tucker,"  replied  the  boy,  "  the  first 
thing  the  Indians  would  do  —  they'd  hide  them- 
selves in  the  timber;  lie  down  in  the  grass,  proba- 
bly, and  then  send  out  one  or  more  of  their 
runners,  the  very  best  they  had  with  them,  to 
sneak  around  and  watch  for  a  chance  to  make  a 
break  together  on  the  cabins.  Then,  if  the  out- 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  95 

look  was  favorable,  and  none  of  the  settlers  were 
stirring,  they'd  go  from  cabin  to  cabin,  murder- 
ing, scalping,  and  firing  the  buildings  as  fast  as 
they  could." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  took  both 
of  the  boy's  hands  in  his  own,  and  gazed  into  his 
bright  face,  "you  know  that  all  the  settlers  on 
the  Oxhide,  and  your  own  folks,  too,  say  that  you 
are  as  much  of  an  Indian  as  if  you  had  been 
born  in  a  tepee,  so  far  as  savage  education  is  con- 
cerned. Now,  I've  been  talking  to  your  father, 
and  he  agrees  with  me ;  I  want  you  to  do  some 
dangerous  work,  or  at  least  it  is  somewhat  risky. 
You  are  the  only  one  among  us  all  who  can  do  it 
as  it  should  be  done.  It  is  this.  While  we  re- 
main here  in  the  shadow  of  the  timber  to  blow 
our  animals  and  graze  them  a  little,  I  want  you 
to  cross  the  creek  on  foot,  and  go  up  to  Spillman 
Ford  with  Alderdyce,  who  will  show  you  where 
it  intersects  this  branch  of  the  Elkhorn,  and 
try  to  discover,  if  you  can,  by  the  dim  light,  any 
signs  of  Indians.  I'm  inclined  to  think  they 
have  not  come  down  into  this  valley  at  all.  But 
I  want  you  to  find  out  where  they  are,  if  possi- 
ble. If  you  do  not  find  any  track  of  them,  after 


96         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

we  have  rested  our  horses  and  warned  the  set- 
tlers of  the  danger,  we  will  all  go  on  to  the  scene 
of  the  massacre,  and  there  you  will  be  sure  to 
learn  where  they  have  gone." 

Joe  and  Alderdyce  turned  over  their  horses 
to  one  of  the  men  who  were  on  guard  watching 
the  animals  while  they  fed  on  the  rich  buffalo 
grass,  and  then  started  on  foot  for  the  ford  of  the 
Elkhorn  leading  to  Spillman  Creek.  It  was 
about  a  mile,  and  during  the  walk,  Joe  and 
Alderdyce  talked  over  the  affair  of  the  morning. 
Joe  asked  his  companion  to  tell  him  exactly  what 
the  commanding  officer  had  said  to  him  when  he 
reported  the  massacre  to  him  at  Fort  Marker. 

"  Well,  Joe,  I  will  tell  you  just  what  he  told 
me.  He  said  that  General  Sheridan  had  ordered 
a  company  of  Custer's  regiment  of  mounted 
troopers  to  be  sent  to  the  Elkhorn  valley 
and  to  remain  there  until  the  settlers  were  ad- 
vised to  come  in,  or  the  proposed  Indian  war 
was  ended." 

"  Now  I  have  an  idea,"  said  Joe  to  him. 
"We  shall  not  find  any  Indians  on  this  trip; 
the  cavalry  have  already  started  for  the  valley, 
and  the  savages  have  got  wind  of  it  and  have 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  CREEK  97 

gone  back  to  their  village,  probably,  a  hundred 
miles  south  of  the  Arkansas.  But,  anyhow, 
we'll  go  on  up  to  the  ford  and  learn  what  we 
can." 

When  they  reached  the  crossing,  not  a  sign 
of  a  pony's  hoof  could  be  discovered,  and  both 
gave  a  sigh  of  relief  as  they  now  knew  that 
none  of  the  savages  had  come  down  towards 
the  Elkhorn.  They  hurried  back  to  their 
party,  and  Joe  reported  that  he  had  not  seen 
a  sign. 

"  Good  enough,"  said  Captain  Tucker,  as  he 
listened  to  the  good  news.  "  Now,  men,"  con- 
tinued he,  turning  and  addressing  himself  to 
the  party  who  had  gathered  near  him  to  learn 
what  report  Joe  and  Alderdyce  might  bring, 
"we  will  remain  here  for  another  hour,  and 
after  warning  some  of  the  prominent  settlers 
in  the  valley,  we  will  go  up  to  the  head  of 
Spillman  Creek  and  see  what  is  to  be  dis- 
covered there.  Who  knows  but  some  one 
may  be  found  hidden  in  the  brush,  not  daring 
to  come  out.  We  may  be  able  to  save  a  life 
or  two  yet." 

H 


CHAPTER   VII 

ARRIVAL    OF    CAVALRY    ON     THE     ELKHORN A     DEER     HUNT  — 

WHAT     THE     SCOUTS     SAW — THE     STORY   OF     THE   TWO   LITTLE 
GIRLS  —  THE     DEAD     AND    WOUNDED  —  MEN    HIDDEN     IN    THE 

BRUSH  —  AN   INDIAN    LEGEND ARRIVAL   OF  THE   INFANTRY 

THE  DEER  HUNT   IN  THE   MORNING  —  DEATH   OF  THE  DEER 

JUST  as  the  sun  appeared  above  the  top  of 
the  Twin  Mounds,  Joe,  who  could  not  keep 
quiet  when  among  the  timber  or  on  the  prairie, 
was  scouting  around  on  his  own  hook,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  party  was  lying  on  the  grass 
eating  the  cold  breakfast  they  had  brought  from 
Errolstrath.  Suddenly  he  rushed  down  to  them, 
and  yelled  at  the  top  of  his  voice :  — 

"  The  cavalry  are  coming !  I  saw  the  gleam 
of  their  carbines  on  the  ridge  about  a  mile 
away  toward  the  trail  to  Fort  Harker." 

Every  man  was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant; 
and  sure  enough,  in  a  few  minutes  they  heard 
the  clanging  of  sabres  and  the  sound  of  the 

hoofs  of  approaching   horses.     Presently  a  fine- 

98 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  99 

looking  set  of  men  wearing  the  fatigue  uni- 
form of  the  United  States  Cavalry,  splendidly 
mounted  on  sleek  bay  animals,  swung  around 
the  point  of  timber  where  Captain  Tucker  and 
his  scouts  from  the  Oxhide  valley  were  stand- 
ing. The  trumpeter  sounded  the  "  Halt,"  and 
in  another  moment  the  horses,  in  obedience  to 
the  signal,  stood  still  as  if  petrified,  while  the 
commander  of  the  troop,  Colonel  Keogh,  of 
Custer's  famous  regiment,  rode  forward  and 
talked  with  Captain  Tucker,  whom  he  had  at 
once  recognized  as  the  leader  of  the  scouts. 

They  conversed  for  some  moments,  each  giv- 
ing the  other  what  information  he  had  of  the 
movements  of  the  Indians.  Then  the  Colonel 
told  Captain  Tucker  that  his  orders  were  to 
camp  on  the  Elkhorn  with  his  company,  and 
scout  through  the  valley,  protecting  the  settlers. 
He  said  that  a  detachment  of  infantry  was  also 
ordered  to  the  creek,  and  was  to  remain  there, 
while  he  with  his  mounted  men  would  move 
from  point  to  point,  and  thus  prevent  the  sav- 
ages from  making  another  raid  in  that  part  of 
the  country.  He  thanked  Captain  Tucker  for 
the  promptness  with  which  he  and  his  neighbors 


IOO  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

had  responded  to  the  appeal  of  Alderdyce.  He 
said  that  now  the  cavalry  were  there  the  men 
might  go  home  feeling  assured  that  no  more 
attacks  were  to  be  feared  from  the  Indians,  and 
that  General  Sheridan  would  soon  have  enough 
soldiers  under  his  command  to  whip  thoroughly 
the  allied  tribes,  and  force  them  to  a  peace 
which  they  would  be  glad  to  keep. 

Captain  Tucker  told  the  Colonel  how  bright 
Joe  was  in  relation  to  Indian  affairs,  and  what 
a  great  hunter  he  had  already  become.  After 
Colonel  Keogh  had  himself  conversed  with  Joe, 
he  took  a  great  fancy  to  him.  He  told  him 
that  he  was  going  on  a  deer  hunt  just  as  soon 
as  he  was  settled  in  camp,  and  the  infantry  had 
arrived,  and  he  invited  Joe  to  be  one  of  the 
party. 

Joe  thanked  the  Colonel,  and  spoke  modestly 
of  the  compliments  which  had  been  paid  him  by 
Captain  Tucker.  He  promised  that  he  would 
certainly  go  on  the  hunt  with  him,  and  be  de- 
lighted to  do  so. 

He  spoke  up  boldly:  "When  do  you  expect 
to  go,  Colonel?  I  know  there  are  lots  of  red 
deer  and  elk,  too,  on  the  Elkhorn,  and  this  is 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  IOI 

a  good  time  to  find  them;  I've  been' here  with 
the  Pawnees  often." 

The  Colonel  said :  "  The  infantry,  in  all  proba- 
bility, will  reach  the  creek  some  time  this  even- 
ing, as  they  were  getting  ready  for  the  march 
when  I  left  Fort  Marker  with  my  troop.  Sup- 
pose, Joe,  we  say  the  day  after  to-morrow  ?  You 
can  remain  here  with  me ;  I  have  buffalo  robes, 
and  you  shall  have  a  bed  in  my  tent.  So  go 
and  ask  your  father  at  once  and  come  back  to 
me  as  quick  as  you  can  and  report  his  answer. 
You'll  find  me  somewhere  about  the  camp.  My 
tent  is  not  yet  put  up,  but  you  will  know  it 
when  it  is,  by  its  similarity  to  an  Indian  tepee. 
It  is  called  a  '  Sibley,'  and  was  patterned  after 
the  Sioux  lodge  by  its  inventor,  an  officer  of 
the  army  of  that  name."  , 

Joe,  wild  with  delight,  ran  off  to  find  his 
father,  to  whom  he  told  of  the  invitation,  and 
finding  that  no  objections  were  made,  thanked 
him  for  his  permission  to  remain. 

Captain  Tucker  had  informed  the  Colonel  that 
as  his  men  and  animals  were  sufficiently  rested,  and 
the  horses  filled  with  the  rich  grass,  he  intended 
to  go  to  the  scene  of  the  massacre  with  Alder- 


IO2        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

dyce,  to  find  whether  any  of  the  settlers  were 
hiding  and  not  daring  to  show  themselves,  or  if 
any  of  the  wounded  were  still  living.  Should 
he  find  any  of  the  latter,  he  would  return  by 
way  of  Fort  Marker  and  notify  the  commanding 
officer,  so  that  he  might  send  an  ambulance  for 
them  and  medical  assistance. 

Telling  his  men  of  his  intentions,  they  imme- 
diately brought  in  their  horses  and  saddled  them. 
They  then  mounted,  and  rode  slowly  west  toward 
Spillman  Creek,  which  was  about  seven  or  eight 
miles  from  the  Elkhorn.  Joe,  of  course,  went  with 
them,  as  they  wanted  him  to  find  out  which  way 
the  Indians  had  gone  after  committing  their 
devilish  deeds.  He  intended  to  leave  the  party 
at  the  ford  of  the  Elkhorn  on  its  return,  and 
to  join  Colonel  Keogh. 

In  about  two  hours  the  party  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  Spillman  Creek,  and  the  first  evidence 
of  the  acts  of  the  savages  confronted  the  men. 
Riding  up  to  a  small  cabin  which  the  Indians 
had  not  consigned  to  the  torch,  no  doubt  having 
missed  it  on  their  fiendish  rounds,  they  discovered 
two  little  girls  crouched  in  one  of  its  dark  cor- 
ners. One  of  them  was  only  six  years  old,  and 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  IO3 

her  sister  but  eight.  They  were  very  bright  for 
their  age,  and  told  a  wonderfully  sad  story  of 
their  escape  from  the  Indians.  They  said  that  a 
big  band  of  savages  rode  up  to  their  home  very 
early  in  the  morning;  that  their  father  and 
mother  were  not  yet  out  of  bed.  The  Indians 
killed  both  of  them,  and  after  setting  the  house 
on  fire,  threw  the  children  on  their  ponies  and 
rode  off.  Coming  to  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  they 
saw  a  company  of  soldiers  in  the  distance,  and 
they  then  dropped  them  on  the  prairie  and  hur- 
ried awray  as  fast  as  their  ponies  could  run.  The 
girls  were  not  hurt  at  all.  They  wandered  on, 
frightened  nearly  to  death,  and  seeing  the  cabin 
down  in  the  valley,  they  went  to  it  and  slept  there 
all  night.  They  had  waked  very  early  in  the 
morning,  and  on  going  out  of  doors,  saw  the  wild 
grapes  growing  on  the  vines  at  the  creek ;  they 
ate  some  for  their  breakfast,  but  soon  hearing  the 
sound  of  horses'  hoofs,  and  thinking  the  Indians 
were  coming  to  look  for  them,  they  crawled  back 
into  the  corner  where  the  scouts  had  found  them. 
Captain  Tucker  and  the  rest  of  the  scouts  were 
in  a  dilemma  at  first  when  they  found  themselves 
with  the  two  little  orphaned  children  on  their 


IO4  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

hands;  and  they  did  not  know  exactly  what  to 
do.  But  soon  Joe's  excellent  judgment  mani- 
fested itself.  He  proposed  that  one  of  the  men 
should  be  sent  back  to  Colonel  Keogh's  camp  to 
tell  him  of  their  discovery,  and  ask  him  to  send 
his  ambulance  out  to  take  the  children  to  Fort 
Marker,  where  they  would  be  cared  for  by  the 
kind  ladies  of  the  post. 

The  suggestion  was  acted  upon  at  once. 
Every  man  volunteered  to  go,  so  it  was  left  to 
the  Captain  to  select  one.  This  he  did,  started 
him  off,  and  left  Mr.  Thompson  to  stay  with  the 
little  girls  until  the  arrival  of  the  ambulance. 
He  and  the  others  of  the  party  then  rode  up  on 
the  valley  of  Spillman  Creek,  as  the  savages 
appeared  to  have  confined  their  atrocities  to  that 
narrow  region. 

As  they  were  riding  close  to  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  about  three  miles  from  where  they  had 
found  the  two  girls,  they  saw  a  wagon  with  the 
horses  still  attached.  As  they  came  up  to  it  for 
a  closer  examination,  two  men,  both  of  whom 
were  known  to  Alderdyce,  came  out  of  the 
underbrush. 

They  had  a  story  to  tell,  too.      Early  in   the 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  IO5 

morning  they  were  on  their  way  to  examine  a 
claim  on  the  Spillman,  when  they  perceived  at 
only  a  short  distance  from  them,  what  appeared 
to  be  a  body  of  soldiers.  They  were  all  dressed 
in  blue  blouses,  and  were  marching  four  abreast 
just  as  the  cavalry  do.  The  men  stopped  for  a 
moment  to  get  a  closer  view  as  they  rode  up  the 
divide,  when  to  their  horror  they  discovered  the 
supposed  soldiers  to  be  a  band  of  Indians.  They 
turned  their  team  about,  and  made  for  the  nearest 
timber  on  the  creek  and  hid  themselves.  Next 
morning  they  still  decided  to  remain  in  ambush 
until  they  saw  some  white  people.  They  had 
plenty  of  food  with  them,  so  they  had  remained 
until  they  were  discovered  by  Captain  Tucker's 
scouts.  Learning  that  all  was  safe,  they  climbed 
into  their  wagon,  whipped  up  the  team,  and  drove 
away.  Presently  the  scouts  came  to  the  remains 
of  a  cabin,  partly  destroyed  by  fire,  where  they 
discovered  the  dead  bodies  of  a  man  and  woman, 
probably  husband  and  wife.  These  they  decently 
buried  and  rode  on. 

They  next  found  the  body  of  a  young  man, 
dead  in  his  field,  where  he  had  evidently  been  at 
work  when  the  savages  surprised  him.  He  was 


106         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

murdered  with  his  own  hatchet,  which  was  found 
by  his  side,  his  face  having  been  chopped  until 
it  was  not  recognizable.  His  body  was  interred 
too. 

It  is  useless  to  relate  all  that  the  scouts  saw 
on  their  mission  of  discovery  up  the  Spillman. 
In  all,  thirty  bodies  were  found,  and  some  dozen 
or  more  persons  who  had  been  wounded  and  had 
managed  to  hide  after  the  savages  had  supposed 
them  to  be  dead.  During  the  next  twenty-four 
hours  these  were  gathered  and  taken  to  the 
hospital  at  the  fort.  Some  recovered,  but  the 
majority  died. 

The  party  returned  to  Colonel  Keogh's  camp, 
because  they  had  discovered  so  much  that  it  was 
thought  best  he  should  know.  When  they  ar- 
rived there  they  learned  that  the  little  girls  had 
been  sent  to  the  fort  under  an  escort  of  a  squad 
of  the  troopers,  and  they  also  found  Mr.  Thomp- 
son in  the  camp  waiting  for  them. 

After  winding  their  horses  for  about  half  an 
hour,  all  returned  to  Errolstrath,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Joe,  who  remained  to  go  on  the  proposed 
hunt  when  the  infantry  arrived. 

Colonel    Keogh's    tent    was    already  pitched, 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  1 07 

and  Joe  sat  in  there  with  him  discussing  the 
atrocities  on  Spillman  Creek  and  the  deer 
hunt. 

"  Colonel,"  said  Joe,  "you  know  that  deer 
have  no  gall-bladder  and  the  antelope  no  dew- 
claws.  Did  you  ever  hear  the  Indian  legend 
about  the  reason  ?  " 

"  I  know  the  deer  have  no  gall-bladder  and  the 
antelope  no  dew-claws,  but  I  don't  think  I  have 
ever  heard  the  reason.  What  do  the  Indians  say 
about  it,  Joe  ?  " 

"  Well,  old  Yellow  Calf,  the  chief  of  the  band 
of  Pawnees  which  has  camped  on  our  creek  ever 
since  we  have  lived  there,  told  me  that  a  long 
time  ago  a  deer  and  an  antelope  met  on  the 
prairie  near  the  Great  Bend  of  the  Arkansas. 
At  that  time  both  animals  had  a  gall  and  dew- 
claws.  They  fell  to  talking  together  and  brag- 
ging how  fast  each  could  run.  The  deer  claimed 
that  he  could  outstrip  the  antelope,  and  the  ante- 
lope that  he  could  beat  the  deer.  They  got 
awfully  mad  at  each  other,  and  finally  determined 
they  would  try  their  speed.  The  stakes  were 
their  galls,  and  the  trial  was  made  on  the  open 
prairie.  The  antelope  beat  the  deer  and  took 


IO8  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

the  deer's  gall.  The  deer  felt  very  unhappy  at 
his  defeat,  and  he  became  so  miserable  over  it, 
that  the  antelope  felt  sorry  for  him,  and  to  cheer 
him  up  took  off  both  his  dew-claws  and  gave 
them  to  the  deer.  Ever  since  then  the  deer  has 
had  no  gall-bladder,  and  the  antelope  no  dew- 
claws. 

"  I  met  some  Kaws  once,  and  I  told  them  what 
the  Pawnees  had  told  me  about  it,  and  the  chief 
of  that  band  said  the  story  the  Pawnees  had 
told  was  only  partly  correct.  The  Kaw  chief's 
version  was  that  after  the  antelope  had  won  the 
race,  the  deer  said  to  him,  '  You  have  won,  but 
that  race  was  not  fair,  for  it  was  over  the  prairie. 
We  ought  to  try  again  in  the  woods  to  decide 
which  of  us  is  really  the  faster.'  So  the  antelope 
agreed  to  run  the  second  race,  and  on  it  they  bet 
their  dew-claws.  The  deer  beat  the  antelope 
that  time,  because  he  could  run  faster  than  the 
antelope  through  the  timber,  over  the  fallen 
trunks  of  trees,  and  in  the  thick  underbrush,  and 
he  took  the  antelope's  dew-claws." 

"  Well,  Joe,  that  is  a  very  funny  story ;  I  never 
heard  it  before."  Then,  looking  out  of  the  front 
of  his  tent,  the  Colonel  turned  to  Joe,  and  said, 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  IOQ 

•'  There  comes  the  company  of  infantry,  so  we 
may  go  on  our  hunt  to-morrow." 

Joe  ran  out  and  watched  the  infantry  as  they 
filed  into  the  timber.  It  was  after  sundown,  but 
far  from  dark.  The  men  were  soon  settled  in 
their  tents,  their  camp-kettles  bubbling  over  the 
fires,  and  preparations  in  full  swing  for  their 
evening  meal. 

Joe  wandered  among  the  troops  and  soon 
picked  up  an  acquaintance  with  them.  They 
admired  his  Indian  suit,  and  earnestly  listened 
to  the  tale  of  his  adventures  with  the  Pawnees. 
Presently  he  was  called  by  the  Colonel's  orderly 
to  come  to  supper.  He  went  back  to  the  Sibley 
tent,  where  he  sat  down  at  the  table  with  Colonel 
Keogh  and  his  two  lieutenants. 

Their  simple  table  was  improvised  out  of  the 
end  gates  of  two  of  the  wagons,  and  the  cook,  a 
colored  soldier,  had  managed  to  provide  ah  ex^ 
cellent  meal,  and  as  Joe  was  very  hungry,  he  did 
ample  justice  to  it. 

When  the  trumpets  and  the  bugles  sounded 
the  retreat,  Joe  went  out  with  the  Colonel,  who 
inspected  the  men  to  see  that  everything  was  in 
good  order  for  the  night.  They  then  returned 


IIO  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

to  their  canvas  quarters,  where  the  Colonel 
smoked  his  pipe,  and  again  discussed  to-morrow's 
hunt  with  the  boy. 

They  were  to  make  a  very  early  start  in  the 
morning,  so,  as  soon  as  "  taps "  had  sounded, 
which  meant  that  all  lights  must  be  put  out  and 
the  soldiers  retire  to  their  tents,  the  Colonel 
suggested  to  Joe  that  he  had  better  go  to  bed, 
while  he  would  sit  up  a  while  and  write  out  his 
report  to  the  commander  at  Fort  Marker.  Call- 
ing in  the  orderly,  the  Colonel  told  him  to  fix  up 
a  sleeping-place  for  the  boy.  The  man  spread 
four  heavy  buffalo  robes  on  the  floor  of  the  tent, 
and  putting  two  blankets  on  top,  the  bed  was 
ready  for  Joe,  who  tumbled  into  it  and  was  soon 
fast  asleep. 

When  the  trumpeter  sounded  the  reveille,  at 
the  first  streak  of  dawn  the  next  morning,  the 
Colonel,  who  had  already  risen,  called  Joe,  who 
bounded  out  of  his  soft  bed  like  a  cat.  Breakfast 
was  ready  in  a  few  moments,  and  after  he  and  the 
Colonel  had  eaten,  and  the  latter  had  given  his 
orders  to  the  officer  who  was  to  command  the 
camp  during  his  absence,  Joe  and  he  started  out 
on  foot  for  the  hunt. 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  III 

The  night  had  been  cold,  and  although  it  was 
the  middle  of  May,  the  white  rime  of  the  late  frost 
covered  the  earth.  It  was  a  good  omen,  as  the 
sharp  footprints  of  the  animals  could  be  more 
easily  distinguished. 

Carefully  examining  their  rifles  and  cartridges 
as  they  walked  briskly  on,  they  soon  struck  the 
main  branch  of  the  Elkhorn,  and  continued 
along  its  margin  in  a  southerly  direction  for  a 
mile  or  more,  when  they  came  to  a  little  opening. 

There  Joe  suddenly  stopped,  and  turning  to 
Colonel  Keogh,  who  had  on  the  instant  also 
halted,  said,  "  Doesn't  that  look  a  little  deerish, 
Colonel  ? " 

The  Colonel,  though  a  good  shot  and  hunter, 
could  distinguish  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary 
after  scrutinizing  the  ground  to  which  the  boy 
had  pointed.  The  earth  looked  the  same  every- 
where in  the  Colonel's  eyes. 

"  Here !  "  said  Joe,  as,  noticing  the  bewildered 
appearance  of  his  new  friend,  he  turned  over  a 
fallen  cottonwood  leaf  with  his  foot.  There  the 
Colonel  saw,  after  carefully  stooping  down,  the 
very  faint  impress  of  a  hoof. 

"Is  that  a  fresh  track,  Joe? "  he  asked. 


112  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

"You  may  be  sure  it  is,"  replied  Joe,  "  and  only 
about  an  hour  old ! " 

"  Well,  I  want  that  deer,"  said  Colonel  Keogh, 
enthusiastically.  He  rose  from  a  stump  on 
which  he  had  been  sitting  for  a  few  moments, 
with  his  rifle  across  his  knees,  and  started  quickly 
for  a  little  patch  of  box-elder  not  a  hundred  yards 
distant. 

"Hold  on,  Colonel!"  said  Joe,  cautiously; 
uthe  deer  isn't  there  now.  Don't  you  see  his 
hoof -marks  point  the  other  way?  Look,  here's 
where  he's  nibbled  the  grass,"  pointing  with  his 
rifle  to  a  strip  of  bunch-grass  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  the  box-elders.  "  Let's  go  on, 
Colonel;  deer  don't  stay  long  in  one  spot  so 
early  in  the  day,  and  if  we  don't  get  a  move 
on  us,  it  may  be  hours  before  we  can  get  a  shot 
at  'em." 

They  trudged  on  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half, 
walking  side  by  side,  the  Colonel  telling  the  boy 
some  of  his  experiences  in  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion. Suddenly  Joe,  touching  the  Colonel's 
shoulder,  said,  "  Hark ! "  in  a  hoarse  whisper, 
at  the  same  instant  elevating  his  head  like  a 
stag-hound  that  has  just  winded  game.  In 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  113 

another  minute  they  heard  a  rustling  as  though 
something  were  stepping  on  dead  leaves. 

"  There's  a  buck  deer  in  there,  and  a  big  one, 
too,"  said  Joe,  in  a  whisper,  as  he  pointed  to  a 
bunch  of  upland  willows  whose  slender  tops  were 
oscillating  slowly  as  if  disturbed  by  a  gentle 
breeze,  though  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind 
blowing.  "  He's  probably  got  a  half  dozen  or 
more  does  around  him,  and  if  we  are  mighty 
careful,  we  may  both  get  a  shot." 

The  willow  copse  was  on  the  top  of  a  little 
knoll,  and  the  ground  was  smooth  on  the  side 
of  it  where  the  Colonel  and  Joe  stood.  Here 
and  there  at  intervals  were  great  trees,  but  with- 
out any  underbrush  to  snap  under  their  feet  as 
they  quietly  trod  over  the  soft,  black  soil. 

At  Joe's  suggestion,  he  and  the  Colonel  sepa- 
rated, widening  the  distance  between  them  to 
about  twenty  paces,  Colonel  Keogh  on  the  right 
of  Joe.  They  crept  on  as  silently  as  savages  on 
the  trail  of  an  enemy,  and  soon  arrived  at  the 
base  of  the  elevation,  which  was  only  some  fifty 
yards  to  its  crest.  There  they  noticed  that  the 
dark  earth  had  been  cut  up  in  every  direction  by 
the  sharp,  delicate  foot-marks  of  the  creatures 


114  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

supposed  to  be  in  front  of  them.  A  significant 
glance  rapidly  passed  from  one  to  the  other  as 
they  drew  nearer  their  quarry. 

At  that  juncture,  just  as  they  reached  the  edge 
of  the  copse,  each  masked  himself  behind  a 
good-sized  cottonwood,  which  seemed  to  have 
grown  where  it  did  for  their  especial  use.  The 
Colonel  in  his  enthusiasm  could  not  repress  the 
remark  in  a  whisper  to  Joe :  — 

"  Look  there,  Joe.     There's  a  dozen  deer !  " 

Sure  enough,  right  in  front  of  them  were  a 
dozen  fat  does  lying  down  ruminating  their 
morning  meal.  The  old  buck,  the  guardian  of 
the  whole  herd,  was  standing  up  as  if  watching 
over  his  charge,  and  stamping  •  the  ground  with 
his  sharp  hoofs  to  drive  off  the  buffalo  gnats 
that  swarmed  thickly  around  him. 

In  another  instant,  at  a  signal  previously 
agreed  upon,  a  low  whistle  from  the  Colonel, 
the  rifles  of  the  hunters  were  discharged  simul- 
taneously, and  all  but  two  of  the  terribly  fright- 
ened animals  bounded  off  through  the  timber. 

Before  the  echoes  of  the  pieces  had  died  away, 
Joe  was  among  the  struggling  deer  with  his 
hunting-knife,  cutting  their  throats  while  they 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW  115 

were  yet  in  their  death  throes.  The  stately 
buck  had  been  the  Colonel's  game,  and  he  asked 
Joe  to  take  its  head  to  the  ranche  so  that  the 
Pawnees,  when  they  arrived  in  the  autumn,  could 
preserve  it  with  its  magnificent  set  of  antlers, 
which  he  desired  to  keep  as  a  trophy  of  their 
hunt. 

It  was  but  a  little  more  than  two  miles  to  camp, 
and  they  did  not  have  to  wait  more  than  an  hour 
for  a  wagon  to  arrive,  as  the  driver  had  been  told 
by  the  Colonel  to  start  the  moment  the  sharp 
double  report  of  the  rifles  reached  his  ears.  The 
dead  animals  were  soon  loaded  into  it,  and  the 
proud  hunters  walked  leisurely  alongside  of  it, 
back  to  camp,  arriving  there  before  eleven 
o'clock. 

The  deer  were  skinned  by  Joe.  The  meat  was 
cut  up  into  saddles  and  haunches,  and  hung  on 
the  limb  of  a  great  tree,  to  secure  it  from  the 
prowling  wolves,  who  already  scented  blood  and 
began  to  make  their  appearance  on  the  bluffs,  so 
keen  is  the  nose  of  that  vicious  and  cowardly 
brute.  The  Colonel  had  brought  with  him  from 
the  fort,  half  a  dozen  hounds,  among  them  some 
of  General  Custer's  celebrated  animals,  but  they 


Il6  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

were  left  tied  up  in  camp  that  morning,  as  the 
Colonel  had  decided  to  make  a  still  hunt  the  first 
day,  and  to  chase  with  the  dogs  the  next. 

That  evening,  just  as  all  were  about  to  roll 
themselves  up  in  their  blankets,  a  scout  arrived 
from  Fort  Marker  with  the  intelligence  that  the 
Cheyennes  and  the  Kiowas,  under  the  leadership 
of  the  bloodthirsty  Sa-tan-ta,  the  notorious  war- 
chief,  had  made  a  raid  upon  the  settlements  near 
Council  Grove,  and  Custer  was  leaving  at  once 
for  the  field  with  his  regiment.  As  Colonel 
Keogh's  company  was  part  of  it,  he  must  return 
to  Fort  Marker  immediately,  and  another  detach- 
ment of  colored  infantry  were  on  their  way  to 
take  its  place  on  the  Elkhorn. 

All  was  bustle  in  a  few  moments.  Tents  were 
struck,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  the  cavalry  com- 
mand was  on  its  way,  Joe  riding  at  the  head  of 
the  column  with  the  Colonel. 

They  arrived  at  Fort  Marker  long  before  day- 
light, and  Joe  bade  the  Colonel  good  by  and 
rode  on  to  Errolstrath,  where  he  pulled  up  his 
pony  just  as  his  father  and  Rob  were  coming  out 
of  the  house  to  go  to  the  spring  to  wash  them- 
selves. 


WHAT  THE  SCOUTS  SAW 

The  boy  was  gladly  welcomed  back  by  all  the 
family,  and  they  sat  at  the  table  for  more  than  an 
hour  after  they  finished  eating  their  breakfast, 
listening  to  Joe's  experiences  at  the  scene  of  the 
massacre,  and  his  hunt  with  Colonel  Keogh. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

MR.  TUCKER  PASSES  THE  NIGHT  AT  ERROLSTRATH  —  HE  TELLS  SOME 
STORIES   OF    HUNTING   BIG   GAME   IN  THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS  — 

SAGACITY   OF   THE    FEMALE   BIGHORN THE   AMERICAN   COUGAR 

THE   BEAR   AND  THE   PANTHER THE   RABBIT   HUNT HOW 

THE  BOYS  TRAINED  THEIR  HOUNDS. 

THAT  evening  many  of  those  who  had  acted 
as  scouts  under  Captain  Tucker  came  to  Errol- 
strath,  where,  on  the  shady  veranda  they  dis- 
cussed their  trip  and  the  possibilities  of  a 
prolonged  Indian  war.  The  Kiowas  had  inaugu- 
rated hostilities  by  their  raid  on  the  settlements 
near  Council  Grove.  General  Sheridan  had 
already  established  his  headquarters  at  Fort 
Marker,  and  every  preparation  was  going  on  at 
that  post  for  a  winter  campaign  against  the 
allied  tribes. 

After  the  group  on  the  porch  had  talked  mat- 
ters over  for  about  two  hours,  they  all  went  to 
their  respective  homes  excepting  old  Mr.  Tucker, 
whom  the  family  had  invited  to  stay  all  night. 

uS 


HUNTING  STORIES  IIQ 

As  it  was  but  eight  o'clock  when  the  others  left, 
Joe  and  Mr.  Tucker  turned  to  the  subject  of 
hunting  big  game,  and  the  latter  told  some  of  his 
own  adventures  when  he  was  a  trapper  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  many  years  ago.  As  Joe  had 
never  seen  the  bighorn  of  that  region,  Mr. 
Tucker  related  an  adventure  he  once  had  when 
hunting  for  a  pair  of  young  ones.  He  was  up  in 
the  Yellowstone  Range,  not  very  far  from  the 
scene  of  Ouster's  unequal  battle  with  Sitting  Bull, 
in  which  the  General's  entire  command  was 
annihilated  by  the  savages. 

"  My  camp  was  on  the  Green  River,"  began  the 
old  man,  "  and  one  morning  while  I  was  out  bait- 
ing my  traps,  I  noticed  a  she  bighorn  that  I 
knew  would  soon  have  little  ones.  I  was  deter- 
mined to  have  a  pair  of  kids,  as  I  had  a  sort  of 
a  small  menagerie  at  my  camp,  but  it  contained 
no  bighorn.  So  I  started  to  follow  her  trail 
and  stay  with  her  until  her  kids  were  born,  when 
I  intended  to  capture  them  and  make  pets  of 
them. 

"  I  followed  her  for  about  two  weeks,  and  was 
sometimes  compelled  to  creep  cautiously  after  her 
in  my  stockinged  feet.  My  stockings  were  clumsy 


I2O  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

things  made  of  buckskin,  not  such  stockings  as 
you  buy.  One  evening  being  so  near  her,  and 
obliged  to  climb  a  steep  mountain,  I  took  out  my 
knife  and  cut  off  all  the  silver  trimmings  of  my 
buckskin  suit,  so  that  nothing  could  jingle  and 
scare  her. 

"At  last,  after  tracking  her  day  after  day,  I 
came  upon  her  den,  where  she  had  brought  forth 
two  kids.  It  was  the  very  top  of  one  of  the  tall- 
est peaks  in  the  Wind  River  Mountains,  in  a  sort 
of  cave  about  five  feet  deep,  worn  in  the  side  of 
an  enormous  rock.  When  I  first  got  a  sight  of 
the  kids,  they  were  nearly  two  weeks  old,  and 
were  jumping  and  playing  as  all  of  the  goat  or 
sheep  family  are  wont  to  do. 

"  They  were  alone,  but  their  mother  was  on 
the  brink  of  a  precipice,  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  them,  carefully  looking  down  into  the  valley 
below  to  see  if  she  could  discover  anything  hos- 
tile. They  are  great  watchers.  The  old  one  had 
not  seen  me,  and  I  had  made  a  detour  to  the  very 
summit  of  the  mountain,  where  I  could  see  that 
there  was  a  trail  which  the  mother  used  to  travel 
in  going  to  and  from  her  young  ones.  I  felt 
sure  that  once  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave  or  hole 


HUNTING  STORIES  121 

in  the  big  rock,  I  might  easily  capture  the  kids, 
for  which  I  had  footed  it  so  many  miles  and  fol- 
lowed so  many  days. 

"  Before  I  reached  the  entrance  of  the  den  the 
old  one  caught  a  glimpse  of  me,  and  in  an  instant, 
filled  with  the  courage  which  the  maternal  in- 
stinct always  prompts,  she  was  upon  me  and  try- 
ing to  get  the  sharp  point  of  her  crooked  horns 
into  my  legs  to  toss  me  over  the  precipice  which 
formed  one  of  the  walls  of  the  mountain.  The 
trail  on  which  I  was  standing  was  narrow  and 
slippery.  I  had  left  my  rifle  on  the  top  of  the 
divide,  and  was  in  a  mighty  tight  place,  for  the 
female  bighorn  is  almost  as  dangerous  as  a 
tiger  when  enraged  and  solicitous  for  the  safety 
of  her  little  ones. 

"  I  fought  off  the  infuriated  mother  with  my 
hands  and  feet  as  well  as  I  could,  but  the  rage  of 
the  brute  increased  terribly  every  second.  Just 
then  she  caught  sight  of  her  kids,  and  leaving  me, 
she  rushed  toward  them  and  ran  around  them 
several  times,  as  if  telling  them  she  wanted  them 
to  do  something  in  her  great  trouble. 

"  The  distance  from  the  wall  of  one  mountain 
to  the  precipice  of  the  other  was  but  eight  feet. 


122  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Both  had  originally  been  but  one  mountain,  but 
ages  ago  some  great  convulsion  of  nature  had 
split  them  apart,  and  had  left  a  huge  fissure 
between  them  at  least  two  thousand  feet  deep, 
with  walls  as  smooth  as  glass. 

"  The  old  one  ran  back  and  forth  from  the 
precipice  to  the  kids  several  times,  showing  them 
as  plainly  as  if  she  could  talk  that  they  must 
make  the  leap  to  escape  from  their  natural  en- 
emy. At  last,  as  if  the  whole  matter  was  under- 
stood, the  mother  flew  back  to  the  edge  of  the 
canon,  the  little  ones  hot  in  her  tracks,  and 
then  all  three  made  the  jump,  just  clearing 
the  frightful  gorge  by  half  the  length  of  the 
young  ones. 

"  I  was  dumfounded  for  an  instant,  but  soon 
recovered  my  senses  and  went  for  my  rifle,  but 
the  coveted  animals  were  far  out  of  range  on 
the  top  of  the  twin  peak.  I  then  returned  to 
my  camp  on  Green  River  more  than  a  hun- 
dred miles  away,  disgusted  and  worn  out,  and 
never  again  attempted  to  capture  the  kids  of 
the  bighorn  in  the  fashion  of  my  first  venture." 

Joe  and  the  rest  of  the  family,  remembering 
Joe's  scrap  with  the  young  panther,  asked  the 


HUNTING  STORIES  123 

old  man  if  he  had  ever  had  any  fight  with  one 
of  them.  He  said  that  he  had,  and  would  tell 
them  all  about  it.  Then  they  would  go  to  bed, 
as  it  was  very  late  for  the  ranche  folks  to  be 
up. 

"  I  remember  the  day  you  had  that  tussle 
with  a  young  panther,  Joe,  and  I  tell  you  that 
you  got  off  mighty  luckily;  the  chances  were 
that  the  animal  would  have  made  mincemeat 
of  you  if  it  hadn't  been  for  that  thrust  with 
your  knife. 

"  The  California  lion,  puma,  or  panther,  as 
the  animal  is  indifferently  called  according  to 
locality,  once  had  a  very  extensive  range  on 
the  North  American  continent.  It  could  be 
found  from  the  Adirondacks  to  Patagonia,  but 
now,  like  nearly  all  of  our  indigenous  great 
mammals,  is  relatively  scarce,  and  is  rapidly 
following  the  sad  trail  of  the  buffalo. 

"  Although  sometimes  called  a  lion,  he  in 
nowise  resembles  either  his  African  or  Asiatic 
namesake.  He  is  more  nearly  related  to  the 
tiger  in  his  habits,  though  lion-like  in  color. 
He  is  the  puma  or  American  cougar  of  the 
naturalists.  He  is  really  a  long-tailed  cat, 


124  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

and  the  only  true  representative  of  the  genus 
felis  on  the  continent. 

"  He  is  a  splendid  fellow,  too,  with  sleepy 
green  eyes,  skin  as  soft  as  velvet  and  beauti- 
fully mottled,  and  teeth  half  an  inch  long  and 
sharp  as  razors.  His  paws  measure  four  inches 
across,  and  his  limbs  are  as  finely  proportioned 
as  a  sculptor  could  desire,  while  all  his  muscles 
are  as  brawny  as  a  prize-fighter's.  His  breast 
is  broad,  and  his  body  as  flexible  as  a  snake's. 
He  is  an  active  climber  and  generally  drops 
or  springs  upon  his  prey  from  a  limb  where 
he  has  carefully  secreted  himself.  Like  the 
majority  of  wild  beasts,  he  generally  runs  from 
man,  excepting  when  cornered,  or  in  the  case  of 
a  female  with  kittens  when  suddenly  met;  then 
her  motherly  love  presents  itself  as  strongly  as 
in  any  other  animal. 

"The  cougar  attains  its  greatest  size  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  where  its  body  reaches  a 
length  of  four  feet  ten  inches,  and  its  tail  from 
two  to  two  and  a  half  feet. 

"  The  American  panther  has  one  inveterate 
foe,  the  bear.  The  grizzly  and  the  panther  are 
mortal  enemies.  The  famous  trappers  I  have 


HUNTING  STORIES  125 

known,  such  men  as  Kit  Carson  and  Lucien 
B.  Maxwell,  have  told  me  that  in  these  ani- 
mals' frequent  combats,  the  panther  generally 
comes  out  victor,  and  that  in  their  early  trap- 
ping days  they  often  came  across  the  carcass 
of  a  bear  which  had  evidently  met  its  death  in 
a  lively  encounter  with  a  mountain  lion,  as 
they  called  it. 

"  Carson  once  related  a  contest  of  that  char- 
acter which  he  had  accidentally  witnessed.  A 
large  deer  was  running  at  full  speed,  closely 
followed  by  a  panther.  The  chase  had  already 
been  a  long  one,  for  as  they  came  nearer  to 
where  he  stood,  he  could  see  both  of  their 
parched  tongues  hanging  out  of  their  mouths, 
and  their  bounding,  though  powerful,  was  no 
longer  as  elastic  as  usual.  The  deer  having 
discovered  in  the  distance  a  large  black  bear 
playing  with  her  cub,  stopped  for  a  moment  to 
sniff  the  air,  then  coming  nearer,  he  made  a 
bound  with  head  extended,  to  ascertain  whether 
the  bear  had  kept  her  position.  As  the  pan- 
ther was  closing  with  him,  the  deer  wheeled 
sharply  around,  and  turning  almost  upon  its 
own  trail,  passed  within  thirty  yards  of  its  pur- 


126  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

suer.  The  panther,  not  being  able  at  once  to 
stop  his  career,  gave  an  angry  growl  and  fol- 
lowed the  deer  again,  but  at  a  distance  of  some 
hundred  yards.  Hearing  the  growl,  the  bear 
drew  her  body  half  out  of  the  bushes,  remain- 
ing quietly  on  the  lookout.  Soon  the  deer 
again  appeared,  but  his  speed  was  much  re- 
duced, and  as  he  approached  the  spot  where 
the  bear  lay  concealed,  it  was  evident  that  the 
animal  was  calculating  the  distance  with  ad- 
mirable precision.  The  panther,  now  expecting 
to  seize  his  prey  easily,  followed  about  thirty 
yards  behind,  his  eyes  so  intently  fixed  on  the 
deer  that  he  did  not  see  the  bear  at  all.  Not 
so  the  bear;  she  was  aware  of  the  close  prox- 
imity of  her  wicked  enemy,  and  she  cleared  the 
briars  before  her  and  squared  herself  for  action, 
when  the  deer  with  a  powerful  spring  passed 
clear  over  her  head  and  disappeared. 

"  At  the  moment  the  deer  took  the  flying  leap 
the  panther  was  close  upon  him,  and  was  just 
balancing  himself  for  a  spring,  when  he  perceived, 
to  his  astonishment,  that  he  was  now  face  to  face 
with  a  formidable  adversary.  Not  in  the  least  dis- 
posed to  fly,  he  crouched,  lashing  his  flanks  with 


HUNTING   STORIES  127 

his  long  tail,  while  the  bear,  about  five  yards 
from  him,  remained  like  a  statue,  looking  at  the 
panther  with  her  fierce,  glaring  eyes. 

"  They  remained  thus  a  minute :  the  panther 
agitated,  and  apparently  undecided,  and  his  sides 
heaving  with  exertion ;  the  bear  perfectly  calm 
and  motionless.  Gradually  the  panther  crawled 
backward  until  at  the  right  distance  for  a  spring ; 
then  throwing  all  his  weight  upon  his  hinder 
parts  to  increase  his  power,  he  darted  upon  the 
bear  like  lighting  and  forced  his  claws  into  her 
back.  The  bear  then,  with  irresistible  force, 
seized  the  panther  with  her  two  fore  paws,  press- 
ing it  with  the  weight  of  her  body  and  rolling 
over  it.  Carson  said  that  he  heard  a  heavy 
grunt,  a  plaintive  howl,  a  crashing  of  bones,  and 
the  panther  was  dead. 

"  The  cub  of  the  bear  came  after  a  few  minutes 
to  learn  what  was  going  on,  examined  the  victim, 
and  strutted  down  the  hill  followed  by  its  mother, 
who  was  apparently  unhurt.  The  old  trappers 
used  to  claim  that  it  was  a  common  practice  of 
the  deer,  when  chased  by  the  panther,  to  lead 
him  to  the  haunt  of  a  bear ;  but  I  won't  vouch  for 
the  truth  of  the  statement. 


128        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

"  I  have  killed  several  of  the  creatures,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Tucker,  "  but  never  had  a  very  seri- 
ous tussle,  excepting  once,  up  in  what  was  then 
called  the  Klikatat  Valley,  in  Washington  Ter- 
ritory. I  had  been  out  after  elk,  but  had  not  seen 
any,  and  was  going  up  a  very  narrow,  rocky 
ravine  looking  for  their  tracks.  When  I  arrived 
at  the  head  of  the  little  canon,  I  heard  a  snarl. 
Casting  my  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  I 
saw,  to  my  dismay,  a  she  panther  on  a  flat  ledge 
under  a  clump  of  dwarf  cedars,  with  three  kittens 
alongside  of  her. 

"  The  enraged  beast  was  in  the  attitude  of 
springing,  when  I  caught  sight  of  her.  I  had  no 
time  to  pull  my  rifle  to  my  shoulder  or  jump 
aside.  The  ravine  was  so  narrow  that  there  was 
not  room  enough  between  the  jagged  walls  to 
raise  the  piece  and  take  aim.  So  quick  were  the 
cat's  movements  that  she  was  almost  upon  me, 
her  mouth  wide  open  and  her  claws  unsheathed 
ready  for  business.  I  was  calm,  for  I  had  trained 
myself  never  to  become  excited  under  danger, 
and  just  as  she  jumped  for  me  I  cocked  my  piece, 
stuck  the  muzzle  down  her  throat,  and  pulled  the 
trigger  as  she  fell  upon  my  shoulder, 


HUNTING  STORIES  1 29 

"  The  shot  killed  her  instantly,  but  not  before 
she  had  ripped  some  of  the  flesh  off  my  arm  as 
she  rolled  to  the  ground.  It  was  a  remarkably 
close  shot,  and  a  lucky  one  forme  too.  I  skinned 
her,  but  was  so  sore  that  I  had  to  return  to  my 
camp  and  dress  my  wounds,  which  healed  in  a 
few  days." 

When  the  story  was  finished,  they  all  went  to 
bed.  Mr.  Tucker  promised  the  boys  and  girls 
he  would  remain  over  the  next  day  and  go  on 
a  rabbit  hunt  which  they  had  planned  for  the 
morning. 

It  proved  to  be  a  glorious  day  as  the  sun  rose 
next  morning  in  a  cloudless  sky.  Breakfast  was 
out  of  the  way  by  six  o'clock,  and  the  boys 
saddled  their  buffalo  ponies,  as  they  called  those 
which  they  had  captured  out  of  the  herd ;  their 
sisters'  ponies  also  were  saddled.  Gertrude  had 
a  very  gentle  animal  which  her  father  had  traded 
for  with  the  Pawnees,  but  he  was  blind  in  one 
eye,  and  she  called  him  Bartimaeus,  or  Barty  for 
short.  He  was  hard  to  catch,  but  when  caught 
was  a  quiet,  easily  ridden  animal.  Kate's  was  an 
iron-gray  which  had  been  born  on  a  neighboring 
ranche,  and  especially  broken  for  her  benefit. 


I3O  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

He  was  of  that  small  breed  peculiar  to  Texas, 
and  his  power  of  endurance  was  phenomenal. 
On  a  long  journey,  with  only  the  wild  grass  to 
subsist  on,  they  soon  wear  out  the  pampered 
steed  of  the  stable. 

The  relation  between  Ginger  and  his  young 
mistress  was  remarkable  for  the  confidence  and 
affection  each  had  in  and  for  the  other.  He 
was  now  five  years  old,  and  Kate  had  trained 
him  herself,  but  had  never  used  whip,  spur,  or 
severe  curb  during  her  long  and  patient  training. 
Consequently  Ginger  responded  cheerfully  and 
promptly  to  her  every  command.  His  educa- 
tion had  been  based  upon  gentleness  and  affec- 
tion. Her  love  for  him  was  reciprocated  in  a 
manner  bordering  upon  human  intelligence,  thus 
confirming  the  theory  that  kindness  is  more 
effective  in  subordinating  the  brute  creation 
to  our  will  than  the  club  or  kindred  harsh 
measures. 

Kate's  pony  had  never  been  confined  by  fence 
or  lariat ;  he  roamed  at  will  all  over  the  beautiful 
prairie  or  in  the  timber  surrounding  Errolstrath. 
Yet  day  or  night,  in  sunshine  or  in  storm,  if  Kate 
required  his  services,  she  had  only  to  go  and  call 


HUNTING  STORIES  13  r 

him,  and  if  within  the  sound  of  her  voice,  he 
would  come  galloping  up  to  her,  neighing  cheer- 
fully. When  he  arrived  where  she  stood,  bridle 
in  hand,  waiting  for  him,  he  would  affectionately 
rub  his  nose  on  her  arm  or  shoulder,  and  submis- 
sively follow  her  to  the  house.  If  he  happened 
to  be  a  long  way  off  when  she  went  to  seek  him, 
she  would  jump  on  his  bare  back  and  ride  him 
home.  He  was  always  rewarded  on  these  occa- 
sions with  a  lump  of  sugar  or  salt,  of  both  of 
which  he  was  very  fond.  In  the  three  years 
of  their  companionship  neither  girl  nor  pony  had 
ever  deceived  each  other :  his  sugar  or  salt  was 
never  forgotten,  nor  had  he  once  failed  to  respond 
to  her  summons. 

It  made  no  difference  when  Kate  wanted  to 
go  anywhere,  whether  she  mounted  Ginger  bare- 
back and  bridleless,  or  with  saddle.  Under  either 
condition  she  was  perfectly  at  her  ease,  and  he 
equally  obedient  to  her  voice,  by  which  alone 
she  frequently  guided  him. 

He  was  as  fleet  as  the  wind,  and  more  than 
once  Kate  had  run  down  a  cottontail  rabbit 
in  a  spirited  chase  over  the  prairie. 

She  had  christened  him  Ginger,  not  because 


132        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

there  was  the  slightest  resemblance  to  that  spice 
in  his  color,  but  rather  for  the  "  spice "  in  his 
nature. 

Mr.  Tucker  rode  his  favorite  large  roan  horse, 
which  he  had  brought  to  the  ranche  with  him, 
and  which  had  carried  him  so  bravely  on  the 
long  and  wearisome  trip  to  the  Elkhorn. 

The  happy  little  party  left  Errolstrath  about 
seven  o'clock,  followed  by  the  old  hounds  Bluey 
and  Brutus,  which  were  as  anxious  as  their  young 
masters  for  the  excitement  of  the  impending 
chase. 

They  rode  down  the  Oxhide  under  the  shade 
of  the  elms  which  fringed  its  border,  until  they 
arrived  at  the  open  prairie  a  mile  from  the 
ranche.  There  the  dogs  were  ordered  ahead, 
and  began  to  run,  eagerly  looking  out  for  a  sight 
of  any  foolish  rabbit,  cottontail  or  jack,  that 
might  be  out  on  the  level  stretch  of  country  over 
which  the  hunters  were  now  loping. 

They  had  not  gone  on  half  a  mile  before  they 
started  a  big  jack  from  his  lair  of  bunch-grass, 
where,  probably,  he  had  been  taking  a  late  nap. 
With  a  characteristic  bound,  jumping  stiff-legged 
for  a  moment,  he  fairly  flew  over  the  short  buffalo 


HUNTING  STORIES  133 

sod,  the  dogs  after  him  with  every  muscle  strained 
to  overtake  him  before  he  could  hide  in  some 
tall  weeds,  or  clump  of  plum  bushes  which  were 
scattered  throughout  the  prairie  at  intervals  of 
five  or  six  hundred  yards. 

Ever  since  they  had  come  into  possession 
of  their  ponies,  Joe  and  Rob  had  trained  Bluey 
and  Brutus  in  such  a  manner  that  they  scarcely 
ever  failed  to  secure  any  game  they  hunted. 

The  rabbit  is  a  very  swift  creature,  and  has 
a  fashion,  when  pursued,  of  suddenly  doubling 
on  his  own  tracks.  Being  so  much  smaller  than 
a  hound,  he  can  perform  the  feat  a  great  deal 
quicker  than  a  dog,  and  if  the  latter  is  not 
trained  to  know  just  what  to  do  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, and  just  how  to  run,  the  rabbit 
almost  invariably  slips  away  from  him.  Bluey 
and  Brutus  were  taught  not  to  keep  close  to  each 
other  when  on  the  run  after  rabbits.  One  of 
them,  generally  the  younger,  when  they  first 
started  out  for  a  hunt,  remained  far  enough  away 
from  his  mate  to  make  the  turn  when  the  rabbit 
did,  without  forging  ahead  of  him,  as  the  fore- 
most hound  was  sure  to  do,  by  the  sheer  momen- 
tum of  his  rapid  running.  Then,  the  hound  in 


134  THE  RANCHE   ON  THE  OXHIDE 

the  rear  had  plenty  of  room  and  time  to  make 
the  turn  as  soon  as  the  rabbit,  and  was  right 
upon  him,  as  close  as  was  the  head  dog  when 
he  doubled  on  his  tracks.  Then  the  old  dog 
would  recover  himself  and  take  his  place  behind 
the  one  that  was  now  ahead,  ready  for  the  same 
tactics  whenever  the  rabbit  made  another  attempt 
to  escape  by  again  doubling  on  himself.  So  the 
race  was  conducted  until  the  rabbit  was  caught. 
That  was  effected  by  the  dog  which  happened 
to  be  ahead  when  he  came  near  enough  to  thrust 
his  long  nose  under  the  animal's  belly  and  toss 
him  high  in  the  air,  catching  him  in  his  mouth 
as  he  came  down. 

"  Admirable  !  "  said  Mr.  Tucker,  as  Bluey,  who 
happened  to  be  ahead,  tossed  the  rabbit  up  and 
caught  him  as  he  fell  toward  the  ground.  "  I 
tell  you,  boys,  that's  as  fine  a  piece  of  work  as  I 
ever  saw  done  by  any  hounds  I  have  run  with. 
You  must  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  to 
teach  them  to  do  their  work  so  splendidly  ?  " 

"  It  took  a  long  time,"  said  Rob,  who  had  really 
given  more  attention  to  training  Bluey  and 
Brutus,  than  had  Joe,  who  had  spent  more  of  his 
spare  hours  in  the  camp  of  the  Pawnees.  "  I 


HUNTING   STORIES  135 

sometimes  almost  gave  up,  they  were  so  stupid 
when  I  first  tried  to  teach  them,  but  by  degrees 
they  understood  what  I  wanted,  and  now  I  will 
put  them  against  any  hounds  in  the  settlement 
for  doing  good  work." 

"  I  must  admit,"  said  Joe,  "  that  all  they  can  do 
is  to  the  credit  of  Rob ;  he  has  more  patience  with 
animals  than  I  have,  though  you  know,  Mr. 
Tucker,  that  I  am  never  cruel.  I  know  that 
you  can  accomplish  more  with  a  dumb  brute  by 
kindness  than  you  can  with  a  whip." 

By  noon  the  hounds  had  caught  ten  rabbits — 
six  cottontails  and  four  jacks  —  and,  of  course, 
were  played  out  when  the  party  turned  back  on 
the  trail  to  Errolstrath.  Here  they  found  dinner 
waiting  for  them,  and  they  all  ate  heartily,  the 
delightful  exercise  having  made  them  as  ravenous 
as  coyotes.  The  hounds  were  not  forgotten; 
they  had  a  rabbit  each  for  their  dinner,  after  eat- 
ing which,  they  went  to  their  accustomed  beds  on 
the  shady  side  of  a  haystack  near  the  corral,  and 
slept  all  the  rest  of  the  afternoon. 

Mr.  Tucker  left  for  his  ranche  about  an  hour 
after  dinner,  promising  to  come  to  visit  the  family 
again  soon. 


136  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

The  family  were  worried  about  the  impending 
Indian  war,  and  when  three  o'clock  had  arrived 
his  mother  sent  Joe  up  to  Fort  Harker  to  find 
out  if  there  was  any  news  of  Custer  and  the 
troops  under  his  command,  who  had  gone  after 
the  Kiowas. 


CHAPTER   IX 


"BUFFALO  BILL"  FINDS  HER  LITTLE  BASKET  —  THE  SOLDIERS 
RETURN  TO  THE  FORT  WITHOUT  FINDING  HER  —  GRIEF  OF  THE 

FAMILY 

IT  was  after  dark  when  Joe  returned  from  his 
mission  to  Fort  Marker.  He  had  been  very 
kindly  received  by  the  officers,  who  had  heard  all 
about  him  from  Colonel  Keogh.  The  command- 
ing officer  told  him  that  he  wanted  him  to  warn 
the  settlers  on  the  Oxhide  that  the  war  had  really 
commenced ;  that  General  Sully  had  had  a  great 
fight  on  the  Arkansas,  and  that  it  could  not  be 
considered  as  a  victory.  He  told  him  also  to  tell 
the  people  on  the  creek  that  at  any  moment  they 
might  be  visited  by  a  hostile  band,  notwithstand- 
ing that  they  were  in  such  close  proximity  to  the 
post. 

u  You  know  yourself,  my  man,  that  the  Indians 
have  a  faculty  of  going  anywhere  they  want  to 
go,  and  all  the  troops  in  the  army  might  be 

'37 


138         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

fooled  in  regard  to  their  movements.  They  are 
here  to-day,  murdering,  and  taking  young  girls 
captive,  and  a  hundred  miles  away  to-morrow. 

"Tell  the  settlers,"  continued  he,  "that  they 
must  be  on  the  lookout.  I  have  not  enough 
troops  to  put  on  guard  on  every  creek.  I  wish 
I  had ;  then  there  would  be  no  danger  of  any 
sudden  and  unexpected  raids.  Why,  do  you 
know,  Joe,  that  only  yesterday,  a  band  of  Dog- 
soldiers  made  an  attack  on  Wilson  Creek,  six- 
teen miles  from  here,  and  killed  two  men  who 
were  at  work  in  their  hayfield  ? 

"  It  was  reported  to  me  about  three  hours  after 
the  affair  had  occurred,  and  I  sent  a  company  up 
there,  but  as  they  were  only  infantry, —  I  have  no 
cavalry  now  at  the  post, — the  Indians  were  soon 
out  of  reach. 

"  I  want  you  to  tell  the  settlers  on  the  Oxhide 
to  particularly  watch  their  girls.  The  Indians 
will  get  some  of  them  if  they  possibly  can. 
They  don't  always  murder  them,  but  hold  them 
in  a  terrible  slavery  in  hopes  of  getting  a  heavy 
money  ransom  from  the  Government  for  their 
release." 

Joe  related  to  his  parents  all  the  conversation 


SEARCH   FOR  KATE  139 

he  had  with  the  officers  at  Fort  Marker,  and 
early  the  next  morning  he  and  his  father  rode 
through  the  settlement,  warning  the  people  to  be 
on  their  guard. 

Only  ten  days  afterward,  when  the  family  at 
Errolstrath  were  just  going  to  sit  down  to  supper, 
it  was  discovered  that  Kate  was  missing.  Ger- 
trude went  up  to  her  room,  supposing  she  might 
be  reading  there,  for  she  was  a  great  devourer  of 
books,  but  she  did  not  find  her. 

The  boys  hunted  for  her  in  all  imaginable 
places  on  the  ranche  where  they  thought  she 
might  possibly  be,  but  could  not  find  her.  When 
Joe  and  Rob  returned  from  their  fruitless  quest, 
the  family  were  too  thoroughly  frightened  to 
think  of  eating.  Mr.  Thompson  mounted  his 
horse  and  started  to  make  the  rounds  of  the 
nearest  neighbors  to  learn  whether  she  was 
visiting  any  of  them. 

He  returned  to  the  ranche  long  after  dark,  but 
brought  no  news  of  her  whereabouts,  and  found 
every  member  of  the  family  in  tears,  and  his  wife 
nearly  crazy.  He  was  told  that  Kate's  pony  had 
come  home,  riderless,  to  the  corral  while  he  was 
absent,  and  a  small  sumac  bush  to  which  his 


140  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

reins  were  tied,  had  been 'torn  up  by  the  roots 
and  was  dragging  at  his  feet.  None  of  them 
could  conjecture  where  she  could  be. 

"  My  God ! "  exclaimed  her  mother,  "  if  the 
Indians  have  captured  her  and  carried  her  off, 
what  shall  we  do  ? " 

"  Something  must  be  done  at  once,"  said  Mr, 
Thompson.  "  Joe,  get  your  pony  quickly,  and 
we  will  hurry  to  the  fort  to  learn  whether  any 
Indians  have  been  seen  or  heard  of  in  this 
vicinity  to-day.  If  so,  we  will  get  the  command- 
ing officer  to  send  out  a  squad  of  soldiers  imme- 
diately. You  must  go  with  them,  Joe,  and  trail 
the  savages  if  you  can  find  any  signs  of  them." 

Joe  and  his  father  rode  as  rapidly  to  Fort 
Marker  as  their  animals  could  carry  them;  went 
to  the  commanding  officer's  private  quarters,  as 
the  business  offices  were  closed  after  night,  and 
reported  to  him  the  terrible  anguish  which  the 
family  were  suffering. 

They  immediately  adjourned  to  the  Adjutant's 
office,  and  the  commander  sent  his  orderly  for  the 
officer  of  the  day.  When  he  made  his  appear- 
ance, he  asked  him  whether  any  reports  had  been 
received  concerning  Indians  being  in  the  vicinity. 


SEARCH  FOR  KATE  14! 

He  replied  that  no  such  report  had  been  received 
by  him,  and  it  was  his  belief  that  none  of  the 
hostile  savages  were  in  the  immediate  country. 

At  that  moment,  Buffalo  Bill  entered  the  room* 
He  was  chief  of  scouts  at  Fort  Harker,  and  had 
just  returned  from  some  perilous  mission  to  one 
of  the  military  posts  on  the  Arkansas,  and  was 
coming  from  the  stable,  to  report  to  the  Adjutant 
He  was  told  of  the  mysterious  disappearance  of 
Mr.  Thompson's  daughter  Kate,  and  the  opinion 
of  the  famous  Indian  fighter  and  courier  was 
asked  as  to  what  he  thought  of  the  matter,  as  no 
Indians  had  been  reported  in  the  vicinity,, 

"  Well,"  said  Bill,  "  because  you  gentlemen 
have  received  no  report  of  the  savages,  it  does 
not  follow  that  none  have  been  here.  /  know 
that  they  have  been  here,  and  to-day.  As  I  crossed 
Bluff  Creek  on  my  way  here  this  afternoon,  about 
six  o'clock,  I  saw  in  the  distance  a  band  of  Ind- 
ians, numbering  about  ten  or  twelve,  riding  rap- 
idly south.  I  hid  myself  in  a  ravine  so  that  they 
should  not  discover  me,  but  I  got  a  good  look 
at  'em  with  my  field-glass.  I  think  they  were 
Comanches,  though  I  can't  be  certain  of  that; 
they  might  have  been  Cheyennes  or  Kiowas; 


142  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE   OXHIDE 

they  were  too  far  off  to  be  made  out  exactly. 
Now,  you  ask  for  my  opinion  as  to  what  has 
become  of  the  gentleman's  daughter.  I  believe 
those  Indians  have  her ;  because  they  were  rid- 
ing so  fast  toward  their  villages,  and  they  are, 
you  know,  all  south  of  the  Canadian. 

"  But  don't  let  Mr.  Thompson  worry  too  much ; 
the  simple  fact  that  she  is  a  prisoner  among  them 
is  bad  enough.  If  among  the  Kiowas,  and  the 
chief,  Kicking  Bird,  is  in  the  village  when  the 
band  arrives  with  the  girl,  he  will  not  allow  her 
to  be  harmed.  He  is  a  cunning  old  fellow,  and 
knows  the  value  of  money.  He  will  have  good 
care  taken  of  her,  and  get  a  heavy  reward  from 
the  Government  for  ransom.  If  she  should  fall 
into  the  village  of  Sa-tan-ta,  God  help  her !  He 
is  the  worst  demon  on  the  trail ;  but  anyhow,  I 
don't  think  they  will  harm  her,  as  they  will  want 
a  ransom." 

"  Well,"  said  the  officer,  "  I  am  sorry  that  I 
have  no  cavalry  at  the  post,  but  I  will  send  a 
detachment  of  the  infantry  after  them  in  six- 
mule  wagons.  I  imagine  it  will  be  a  useless  task 
to  try  to  catch  up  with  them  if,  as  Buffalo  Bill 
says,  they  were  going  as  fast  as  they  could 


SEARCH   FOR  KATE  143 

to  their  village  on  the  Canadian.  Lieutenant 
Hale,"  said  he,  turning  to  the  Adjutant,  "  make 
a  detail  at  once  of  thirty  men,  and  send  them  out 
under  a  couple  of  non-commissioned  officers  on 
the  trail  of  the  savages,  if  it  can  be  found.  Any- 
how, some  sign  may  be  discovered  that  will  tell 
us  whether  the  girl  is  with  them." 

Then  turning  to  Joe,  he  said :  "  I  wish  that 
you  would  go  with  the  detachment,  for  you  are 
the  best  trailer  in  the  whole  country,  not  except- 
ing our  chief  scout  here,  Buffalo  Bill,  and  he's 
the  prince  of  all  frontiersmen." 

"Well,"  said  Buffalo  Bill,  "  I've  just  come  off 
a  pretty  hard  trip,  but  I  volunteer  to  go  with  the 
party ;  if  I  can  do  anything  in  a  case  of  this  kind, 
fatigue  doesn't  count." 

"  Thank  you,  Bill,"  said  Mr.  Thompson.  "  I  will 
return  to  Errolstrath  and  tell  my  family  what  has 
been  done,  and  your  favorable  opinion  that  the 
savages  won't  harm  her :  that  will  be  a  comfort 
at  least.  Good  night,  gentlemen,"  said  he ;  and 
he  went  out  and  untied  his  horse  from  the 
hitching-post,  and  rode  slowly  home. 

The  night  was  quite  dark,  though  there  was  a 
little  moonlight,  but  the  detachment  did  not  get 


144  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

away  from  the  post  until  long  after  midnight,  as 
there  was  so  much  delay  in  hitching  up  the 
teams  and  turning  out  the  soldiers  who  had 
gone  to  bed.  By  the  time  the  little  train  of 
three  wagons  arrived  at  Bluff  Creek,  where  Buf- 
falo Bill  had  seen  the  Indians,  the  day  was  just 
breaking.  They  could  not  travel  to  that  point 
from  the  fort  very  rapidly  on  account  of  the 
rough  nature  of  the  trail.  It  was  nothing  but 
a  series  of  rocky  hills  after  they  had  crossed 
the  Smoky  Hill,  and  was  constantly  becoming 
rougher  as  they  approached  Bluff  Creek,  which 
was  well  named  on  account  of  its  high  bluffs. 

The  party  halted  at  the  ford  where  they  sup- 
posed the  savages  had  crossed,  and  began  to  look 
for  Indian  signs.  Pony  tracks  were  plainly  visi- 
ble in  the  soft  earth  where  the  trail  led  down  to 
the  water,  and  Buffalo  Bill  dismounted  and 
examined  them  carefully.  He  then  asked  Joe  to 
get  off  his  horse  and  count  the  hoof-marks.  Joe 
did  so,  and  both  he  and  the  famous  scout  agreed 
that  there  must  have  been  about  a  dozen  of  the 
savages. 

Crossing  the  creek,  followed  by  the  wagons, 
Joe  and  he  ascended  the  hill  on  the  other  side. 


J 

SEARCH  FOR  KATE  145 

They  had  not  proceeded  a  quarter  of  a  mile  when 
Buffalo  Bill  picked  up  from  the  trail  a  small  par- 
fleche  basket,  which  Joe  immediately  recognized 
as  belonging  to  his  sister. 

"  Look  here,  Mr.  Cody,  there  is  her  name 
which  I  carved  myself  when  I  gave  it  to  her. 
Now  we  know  for  a  fact  that  the  savages  have 
captured  her.  I  know  why  Ginger  came  home 
with  that  little  sumac  bush  fastened  to  his  bridle, 
Kate  must  have  tied  him  to  it,  and  when  the 
Indians  swooped  down  on  her,  the  pony  broke 
loose  and  tore  up  the  little  tree  by  the  roots  in 
his  fright,  for  he  was  always  scared  out  of  his 
wits  at  the  sight  of  an  Indian." 

The  little  detachment  of  soldiers  rode  on  for 
a  dozen  more  miles,  when  the  mules  showed 
unmistakable  signs  of  fatigue.  They  could  not 
be  made  to  travel  faster  than  a  walk,  notwith- 
standing the  persuasive  efforts  of  the  blacksnake- 
whips  in  the  hands  of  their  drivers.  So  both 
Buffalo  Bill  and  Joe  reluctantly  decided  that  it 
was  no  use  to  follow  the  Indians  any  farther. 
They  knew  the  habits  of  the  savages  so  well, 
that  they  were  now  probably  a  hundred  miles 
ahead  of  them,  for  they  always  took  loose  stock 


146  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

along  with  them  so  as  to  change  animals  when 
their  own  horses  became  leg-weary. 

Very  reluctantly,  then,  the  cavalcade  was  turned 
round  and  headed  for  the  fort,  where  the  party 
arrived  at  about  one  o'clock.  Buffalo  Bill,  as 
chief  of  scouts,  reported  the  result  of  the  trip  to 
the  commanding  officer. 

All  were  depressed  at  the  failure  of  the  expedi- 
tion, but  it  was  impossible  that  it  should  have 
turned  out  differently,  and  when  Joe  arrived  at 
Errolstrath  and  related  the  story  of  the  finding 
of  Kate's  basket,  the  grief  of  the  family  knew  no 
bounds.  All  felt  keen  anguish  at  the  absence  of 
their  favorite,  and  at  her  sad  fate. 

There  was  nothing  to  be  done  except  to  wait 
patiently  for  some  action  on  the  part  of  the  Gov- 
ernment in  ransoming  her  if  she  was  alive.  The 
family  settled  themselves  into  a  calm  resignation, 
but  the  sun  did  not  seem  to  shine  so  brightly,  nor 
the  birds  to  sing  so  sweetly  as  when  the  pet  of 
the  household  was  there.  Even  her  antelope 
appeared  to  partake  of  the  general  gloom;  it 
evidently  missed  its  loving  young  mistress,  and 
would  wander  around  the  house,  disconsolately 
seeking  her. 


CHAPTER  X 

HOW    KATE   WAS    CAPTURED    BY  THE    INDIANS THE    BAND   RIDE 

RAPIDLY  SOUTHWARD  —  AT  THE  INDIAN  VILLAGE HER  DE- 
TERMINATION TO  ESCAPE  —  TEACHES  THE  SQUAWS  —  IS 
TREATED  KINDLY 

IMMEDIATELY  after  dinner  on  the  day  that  Kate 
was  missed,  she  bethought  herself  that  the  rasp- 
berries might  be  ripe.  She  wanted  to  surprise 
her  mother  and  sister,  but  as  will  be  seen,  was 
surprised  in  such  a  manner  that  she  never  forgot 
it  as  long  as  she  lived. 

Without  saying  a  word  to  her  mother  or  Ger- 
trude, she  took  out  of  her  room  a  little  basket 
made  of  par-fleche,1  given  to  Joe  by  the  Pawnees, 
and  by  him  presented  to  her.  She  went  out  to 
the  pasture,  caught  her  pony,  Ginger,  saddled  him, 
and  rode  out  to  the  fatal  raspberry  patch  where 
once  she  had  such  a  terrible  encounter  with  a 
she-wolf. 

1  Par-fteche  is f the  tanned  hide  of  the  buffalo,  without  the  hair. 
The  Indians  make  baskets  and  boxes  of  it  ill  which  to  pack  their 
provisions  and  other  articles  when  they  move  their  villages. 

'47 


148  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

It  was  a  fortunate  thing  that  both  the  girls 
had  learned  to  ride,  for  a  sad  fate  would  have 
been  in  store  for  her  had  she  not  been  a  thorough 
horsewoman. 

Arriving  there  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  she 
tied  Ginger  to  a  sumac  bush,  and  to  her  delight 
found  that  the  berries  were  quite  ripe,  and  was 
soon  absorbed  in  the  task  of  filling  her  basket. 
Suddenly,  with  the  rush  of  a  tornado,  and  utter- 
ing the  most  diabolical  yells,  a  dozen  Comanches, 
dressed  up  in  their  war  paint  and  eagle  feathers, 
swooped  down  on  the  unsuspecting  girl  as  a 
hawk  swoops  down  on  a  chicken.  Before  she 
realized  where  she  was,  one  of  the  red  devils,  lean- 
ing over  from  his  pony,  caught  her  by  the  arms 
and  tossed  her  in  front  of  his  saddle,  and  in  an- 
other instant  the  whole  band  was  dashing  away 
southward  as  fast  as  their  little  animals  could 
be  urged. 

Of  course,  she  fainted  for  a  moment,  but 
strangely  held  on  to  her  basket.  When  she 
had  recovered  from  her  first  shock,  the  Indians 
endeavored  to  make  her  understand  by  signs  that 
they  were  not  going  to  hurt  her.  In  fact,  they 
treated  her  with  a  sort  of  savage  kindness.  The 


KATE  IS  CAPTURED  BY  INDIANS  149 

great  feather-bedecked  brute  made  her  as  com- 
fortable as  he  could  in  front  of  him,  as  he  pounded 
the  pony's  flanks  with  his  moccasined  heels  to 
urge  it  on  as  fast  as  possible. 

They  rode  rapidly  on,  staying  for  nothing, 
crossed  Bluff  Creek,  and  reached  the  Arkansas 
River  that  night.  They  waited  there  for  an  hour 
to  allow  their  ponies  to  graze,  and  themselves  to 
eat  and  smoke.  They  rode  on  again  until  day- 
light the  next  morning,  when  the  sand  hills  of 
the  Beaver  came  in  sight.  There  they  halted  for 
breakfast,  and  shared  with  the  now  relatively  calm 
girl  their  dried  buffalo  meat,  and  bread  made  of 
ground-roots. 

That  evening  they  arrived  at  their  village  on 
the  Canadian,  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  the  Oxhide.  Kate  was  turned  over 
to  the  squaws,  who  treated  her  with  the  kindness 
innate  in  all  women,  because  she  was  only  a  little 
girl.  Had  she  been  a  young  woman,  that  mon- 
ster Jealousy,  which  makes  his  home  even  in  the 
rude  tepee  of  the  savage,  would  have  made  her 
lot  entirely  different. 

She  was  allotted  to  the  lodge  of  an  old  squaw, 
the  old  chief  White  Wolf's  fifth  wife,  whose  duty 


I5O  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE   OXHIDE 

was  to  guard  her  and  see  that  she  did  not  at- 
tempt to  escape.  The  savages,  as  Buffalo  Bill 
had  suggested,  simply  wanted  to  keep  her  until 
the  Government  should  offer  a  ransom  for  the 
little  captive,  so  it  behooved  them  not  to  abuse 
her. 

As  the  days  rolled  on  in  their  weary  length, 
the  white  captive  became  more  reconciled  to  her 
fate.  She  had  never  given  up  the  hope  that  the 
officers  at  Fort  Harker  would  soon  send  out  the 
troops  to  seek  her,  and  that  she  would  be  restored 
to  her  dear  Errolstrath  home  and  her  parents. 
At  the  same  time,  as  she  was  a  most  excellent 
horsewoman,  she  always  thought  that  if  the  worst 
came  to  the  worst,  she  would  make  her  escape 
and  again  ride  the  long  distance  she  had  ridden 
in  coming  to  the  village. 

When  she  had  regained  her  self-control  on  her 
dreadful  journey,  she  had  looked  around  her  and 
had  taken  such  observations  as  she  could  of  the 
lay  of  the  country,  the  timber,  and  the  general 
aspect  of  the  trail.  Even  then,  in  all  the  terrible 
excitement  of  her  capture,  she  thought  of  escap- 
ing at  the  first  opportunity  that  offered  itself. 
She  indelibly  imprinted  every  tree,  rock,  and  ford 


KATE  IS  CAPTURED   BY  INDIANS  151 

on  her  mind,  so  that  the  long  ride  over  the  trail 
to  the  village  was  like  a  photograph  on  her  brain 
to  be  taken  out  of  its  storehouse  whenever 
required. 

In  a  very  few  days  she  had  so  ingratiated  her- 
self in  the  good  opinion  of  the  women  of  the 
village,  that  they  really  took  a  fancy  to  her.  She 
willingly  helped  them  in  all  the  daily  tasks  heaped 
upon  them  by  their  hard  masters.  She  learned 
readily  how  to  tan  the  different  furs  which  were 
brought  into  the  place  after  a  hunt,  made  mocca- 
sins, herded  the  ponies  in  her  turn,  and  even 
became  such  an  adept  in  cooking  that  she  was 
soon  permanently  assigned  as  cook  for  the  occu- 
pants of  the  tepee  in  which  she  was  lodged. 
Then  she  was  spared  the  dirtier  and  harder  labor 
which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  Indian  women,  for  she 
had  been  brought  up  by  her  excellent  mother  to 
perform  all  kinds  of  work  in  which  a  white 
woman  is  supposed  to  become  proficient,  and 
now  it  served  her  in  a  way  that  was  never 
dreamed  of. 

The  Indians  occasionally  had  flour,  but  knew 
of  but  one  way  to  prepare  it.  They  made  a  kind 
of  gruel,  by  boiling,  and  adding  a  little  salt  A 


152         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

most  unpalatable  dish !  She  made  bread  and 
biscuit,  which  she  baked  in  the  most  primitive 
way,  on  a  piece  of  thin  iron  before  the  coals  of 
the  camp-fire ;  but  then  the  food  was  so  different 
from  that  to  which  the  savages  had  been  accus- 
tomed, that  no  one  was  permitted  to  prepare  the 
meals  for  the  lodge  where  she  made  her  abode, 
but  the  White  Fawn,  as  they  began  to  call  her. 

Like  Constantinople,  every  village  is  overrun 
with  dogs,  and  they  are  the  most  vigilant  guards 
that  can  be  imagined.  No  one  may  hope  to 
approach  an  Indian  lodge,  or  a  group  of  them, 
without  being  saluted  by  a  chorus  of  the  most 
unearthly  barking  and  howling  from  the  canine 
cataract  that  is  sure  to  pour  out  the  moment  a 
strange  footstep  is  heard.  Kate,  always  a  lover 
of  pets,  immediately  began  to  cultivate  the  friend- 
ship of  the  dogs  of  the  village.  There  was,  how- 
ever, something  more  in  her  method  than  mere 
natural  affection  for  the  brute  creation ;  she  had 
an  object  in  view.  She  knew  that  when  the  time 
arrived  for  her  to  attempt  to  escape,  the  dogs 
must  be  thoroughly  attached  to  her,  so  that 
they  would  regard  any  movement  she  might 
make  without  the  slightest  suspicion.  This  she 


KATE  IS  CAPTURED  BY  INDIANS  153 

soon  effected,  and  in  a  short  time  every  miserable 
cur  in  the  village  was  her  faithful  ally. 

The  intense  interest  which  she  took  in  the 
herd  of  ponies  may  be  imagined,  for  in  one  of 
them,  at  some  time  in  the  near  future,  was  con- 
centrated her  hope  of  escaping  from  the  hateful 
village.  She  had  noticed  a  little  roan  pony 
which  seemed  to  her  to  possess  that  power  of 
endurance  that  would  be  so  necessary  when 
she  started  on  her  long  and  lonely  journey  to 
the  beloved  Oxhide.  She  knew  that  he  was 
the  swiftest  animal  of  the  hundred  or  more  in  the 
bunch,  for  she  had  watched  him  often  when  the 
dusky  warrior  who  owned  him  rode  away  on 
the  hunt.  She  had  read  in  some  favorite  maga- 
zine at  the  ranche,  that  in  the  old  tales  of  English 
minstrelsy,  the  roan  horse  was  the  favorite  color 
of  the  heroes  of  those  stories,  and  she  selected 
that  animal  out  of  the  herd  to  carry  her  away. 
So,  whenever  she  could,  surreptitiously,  she 
petted  him,  and  he  became  so  attached  to  her 
that  he  would  follow  her  like  a  dog.  . 

The  savages  watched  her  very  closely,  and  she 
dared  not  think  of  leaving  the  village  for  many 
long  weeks.  At  last  she  appeared  to  be  so 


154  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

pleased  with  her  new  associations  that  their  vig- 
ilance relaxed  somewhat,  and  their  eyes  were  not 
always  upon  her. 

She  very  rapidly  learned  the  language  of  her 
captors,  and  then,  as  she  could  talk  to  the  women, 
who  were  really  kind  to  her,  her  isolation  did  not 
seem  so  hard  to  bear. 

The  principal  food  of  the  savages  was  dried 
buffalo  meat,  and,  as  it  would  keep  sweet  for 
a  long  time  and  was  very  nourishing,  she  hid 
portions  of  her  rations  in  the  hollow  of  an 
old  elm  that  stood  near  her  tepee,  for  use  on 
the  trip  when  the  time  arrived  for  her  to  run 
away. 

The  clothes  which  Kate  wore  when  she  was 
stolen  soon  began  to  show  the  hard  service  to 
which  they  had  been  subjected,  and  finally  she 
had  to  resort  to  the  blanket  for  a  general  wrap 
like  her  female  associates.  She  had  patched 
her  civilized  dress  until  it  was  like  Joseph's 
coat,  of  many  colors,  but  she  tenaciously  clung 
to  it,  determining  that  she  would  wear  it  home, 
if  she  was  fortunate  enough  ever  to  return.  So 
she  took  it  off  and  carefully  stored  it  with  her 
buffalo  meat  in  the  hollow  of  the  old  elm. 


KATE  IS   CAPTURED   BY   INDIANS  155 

She  soon  became  aware  that  the  savages 
were  at  war  with  the  whites,  for  often  when 
the  warriors  went  away  dressed  up  in  their 
feathers  and  hideous  paint,  they  came  back 
with  their  ranks  decimated,  and  then  there  was 
wailing  and  howling  in  the  village. 

She  knew,  also,  that  General  Custer,  whom 
the  Indians  called  the  Crawling  Panther,  was 
gradually  outwitting  them,  for  she  heard  the 
sobriquet  they  had  given  him  often  mentioned 
in  their  talks  around  the  camp-fires. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THANKSGIVING     DAY     AT     ERROLSTRATH  —  KATE'S     RETURN  —  CUS- 
TER'S     BATTLE     WITH     "  BLACK     KETTLE" — KATE     TELLS     HER 

STORY THE   ORIGIN   OF   INDIAN    CORN  —  A   WOLF   HUNT  WITH 

GENERAL  CUSTER  —  A  WOLF  STORY   BY  THE  COLONEL 

FIVE  months  had  made  their  sad  passage  at 
Errolstrath  ranche  since  Kate  was  carried  off  by 
the  Indians.  It  was  now  November,  and  Thanks- 
giving, that  day  so  sacred  to  every  New  England- 
er's  heart,  was  rapidly  approaching;  it  lacked 
but  one  week  of  its  advent.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  sadness  which  still  hovered  over  Errol- 
strath, the  great  healer,  Time,  had  poured  balm 
into  the  wounded  hearts.  There  still  remained 
the  tender  remembrance  of  the  light  which  the 
absent  one  always  brought  into  the  house,  and 
the  parents  still  strove  to  fulfil  their  obligations 
to  those  who  were  left  to  them,  so  Thanks- 
giving was  kept  as  it  had  been  ever  since  the 

settlement  of  the  family  on  the  ranche. 

156 


KATE  ESCAPES  157 

The  mince  pies  had  been  baked,  the  cider 
bottled,  and  all  that  was  lacking  to  make  up 
the  complement  of  the  great  dinner  was  a  tur- 
key. As,  however,  the  woods  were  full  of  them 
around  Errolstrath,  no  uneasiness  was  felt  in 
regard  to  the  presence  of  the  magnificent  bird 
when  he  was  wanted. 

Joe,  upon  whom  the  family  depended  to 
keep  the  larder  well  supplied  with  game,  in- 
tended to  go  and  kill  a  wild  turkey  the  next 
day.  Thanksgiving  came  the  second  day  fol- 
lowing on  the  twenty-fifth,  so  there  was  ample 
time  to  procure  the  principal  dish  for  the  com- 
ing event. 

Joe  had  long  since  ceased  to  hunt  for  mere 
amusement.  He  had  become  a  veritable  pot- 
hunter, not  in  the  general  sense  in  which  the 
word  is  used,  that  is,  a  man  who  only  kills  his 
game  on  the  ground,  but  he  hunted  only  when 
the  family  needed  a  change  of  diet,  and  desired 
some  kind  of  game. 

It  was  Rob's  duty  that  month  to  bring  the 
cows  home  and  milk  them,  a  duty  at  which 
the  boys  took  turn  and  turn  about  each  month. 
That  evening  he  was  returning  home  with  his 


158  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

charge,  and  was  riding,  as  usual,  one  of  the 
buffalo  ponies.  As  he  was  going  along  the 
bank  of  the  Oxhide,  in  the  long  grass  which 
grew  in  some  places  higher  than  a  man's  head, 
his  animal  suddenly  stumbled  with  both  feet, 
into  a  prairie  dog's  hole,  and  Rob  was  incon- 
tinently thrown  over  his  head,  falling  into  the 
long  grass  without  receiving  any  injury.  As 
he  started  to  his  feet  again,  he  felt  something 
struggling  in  his  hands,  for  he  had  involuntarily 
clutched  at  the  ground  when  the  pony  so  un- 
ceremoniously tumbled  him  off,  and  to  his  great 
surprise,  he  discovered  that  he  had  accidentally 
caught  a  large  wild  turkey!  He  held  on  to 
the  bird  manfully,  although  it  tried  its  hardest 
to  get  away  from  him;  and  holding  it  by  the 
legs,  he  walked  on  to  the  corral  and  drove  the 
cows  in.  Then,  still  leading  his  pony,  he  arrived 
at  the  house,  and  called  his  mother  and  Ger- 
trude out,  exclaiming:  — 

"  I've  got  the  turkey  for  Thanksgiving,  and  I 
didn't  have  to  shoot  it,  either ! " 

Joe,  hearing  the  noise,  came  down  from  his 
room,  and  learning  what  had  caused  the  racket, 
said :  — 


KATE  ESCAPES  159 

"  By  jolly,  Rob,  you  are  a  lucky  dog ;  but  if 
any  one  read  of  the  way  you  caught  it,  they 
wouldn't  believe  it.  I  never  heard  of  such  a 
thing  before.  I  sha'n't  have  to  hunt  one  to- 
morrow now,  and  I'm  glad  of  it,  for  I  want  to 
go  to  the  fort  to  try  to  find  out  how  the  Indian 
war  is  coming  on." 

"  Well,  Joe,"  said  his  mother,  "  as  you  needn't 
shoot  one  now,  suppose  you  kill  and  pick  it 
while  Rob  is  milking,  then  hang  it  up  some- 
where so  that  the  lynxes  can't  get  it,  and  in  the 
morning  Gertie  and  I  will  get  it  ready  for  the 
oven." 

Joe  then  took  it  from  Rob,  who  was  still  hold- 
ing the  struggling  creature  by  the  legs,  and 
taking  it  to  the  woodpile,  he  chopped  off  its 
head,  then  he  picked  it,  and  hung  it  up  in  the 
smoke-house  as  the  safest  place  until  his  mother 
was  ready  for  it  in  the  morning. 

Thanksgiving  day  opened  clear  and  cool,  but 
not  at  all  cold,  for  November  in  Kansas  is  one 
of  the  most  delightful  months  in  the  whole  year. 
The  Indian  summer  is  then  at  its  height,  and  the 
amber  mist  hangs  in  light  clouds  on  every  hill, 
giving  to  all  objects  a  smoky  hue.  This  mist 


I6O  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

rests  particularly  on  the  bluffs  bordering  that 
stream  to  which  General  John  C.  Fremont  gave 
the  name  of  "  The  Smoky  Hill  Fork  of  the 
Republican."  He  first  saw  it  in  the  late  autumn 
of  1843,  when  on  his  exploring  expedition  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  it  is  into  that  river  that 
the  Oxhide  empties  itself  only  a  short  distance 
from  Errolstrath  ranche. 

It  was  intended  to  have  dinner  served  promptly 
at  noon,  and  Mrs.  Thompson  had  so  announced 
to  her  husband  and  children,  who  were  all  anx- 
ious for  twelve  o'clock  to  strike. 

About  ten,  while  she  and  Gertrude  were  busy 
in  the  kitchen,  the  boys  out  in  the  yard,  and 
Mr.  Thompson  in  the  timber,  marking  some  trees 
he  planned  to  cut  down,  there  rode  up  to  the 
front  porch  a  strange-looking  figure  on  a  roan 
pony  which  was  evidently  nearly  blown  in  con- 
sequence of  the  pace  at  which  it  had  been  driven. 

The  strange  object  was  seemingly  a  girl,  but 
she  was  one  mass  of  rags  over  which  was  thrown 
a  red  blanket,  Indian  fashion.  Her  hair  was 
unkempt,  and  she  sat  crossways  on  her  animal, 
like  a  savage. 

Mrs.  Thompson,  hearing  the  sound  of  a  horse's 


KATE  ESCAPES  l6l 

hoofs  on  the  buffalo  sod  in  front  of  the  house, 
went  out  with  her  dish-cloth  in  her  hand  to  see 
who  the  intruder  might  be.  Looking  at  her,  she 
at  first  thought  one  of  the  Pawnee  boys  had  come 
for  Joe,  but  when  she  heard  in  a  sad  and  appar- 
ently disappointed  tone  a  voice  which  she  could 
never  have  forgotten:  "My  heavens!  mamma, 
don't  you  know  me  ? "  she  recognized  it  as  that 
of  her  lost  daughter  Kate.  The  cloth  dropped 
from  her  hand,  and  she  fell  prone  upon  the  porch, 
overcome  by  the  shock. 

Just  as  Gertrude,  who  had  heard  her  mother's 
smothered  groan,  ran  out  with  a  tin  dipper  of 
water  to  dash  into  her  face,  Kate  dismounted, 
and  rushing  to  where  her  mother  was  lying,  she 
threw  her  arms  around  her  neck  and  began  to 
sob  violently. 

It  was  then  that  Gertrude,  for  the  first  time, 
saw  her  sister  Kate,  and  she,  too,  immediately 
fell  upon  her  lovingly,  and  for  some  moments 
there  was  weeping,  laughing,  kissing,  and  hug- 
ging. The  boys,  in  the  back  part  of  the  house, 
and  their  father  in  the  stable,  hearing  the  voices, 
hurried  to  the  veranda,  and  in  another  second 
all  were  kissing  and  hugging  the  ragged  girl. 


1 62         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

each  one  trying  to  outvie  the  other  in  their  joy 
at  the  return  of  the  pet  of  the  household. 

They  fairly  dragged  Kate  into  the  sitting-room, 
where,  for  a  few  minutes,  they  looked  at  her  in  a 
dazed  sort  of  way.  Her  mother  was  the  first  to 
come  to  her  senses. 

"The  first  thing  to  do,"  she  said,  "is  to  get 
some  decent  clothes  on  the  child ;  then  as  soon 
as  Mr.  Tucker  comes  we  will  have  dinner.  Oh ! 
my,  what  a  Thanksgiving  it  will  be !  " 

Kate  was  soon  made  comfortable  in  clean  linen, 
and  a  dress  of  her  sister's,  for  she  had  outgrown 
all  that  were  of  her  own  wardrobe  five  months 
before. 

At  this  moment  Mr.  Tucker  rode  up  to  the 
door,  and  allowing  Rob  to  take  his  horse  to  the 
stable,  the  old  man  walked  into  the  house.  He 
was  the  only  invited  guest  on  the  Thanksgivings 
at  Errolstrath.  All  his  family  were  long  since 
dead,  and  he  was  alone  in  the  world;  besides, 
being  a  New  Englander,  he  had  not  forgotten 
how  to  appreciate  the  most  important  festival 
of  Yankee  Land. 

He  was  wonderfully  taken  aback  when  he  saw 
that  Kate  had  returned,  and  he  congratulated  her 


KATE   ESCAPES  163 

with  his  eyes  full  of  tears ;  for  he  was  a  man  with 
a  warm  heart,  though  his  early  life  in  the  days  of 
the  old  trappers  had  given  him  a  rough  looking 
exterior. 

Kate  looked  like  the  dear  Kate  of  old,  as  all 
sat  down  to  a  real  Thanksgiving  dinner.  She 
was  much  browner  than  when  she  left  Errol- 
strath,  because  of  her  constant  outdoor  life  in  the 
Indian  village. 

"  Oh !  Kate,"  said  her  mother,  as  the  happy 
girl  took  her  accustomed  place  at  the  table, 
between  her  father  and  Gertrude,  "how  ear- 
nestly I  have  prayed  that  you  might  be  restored 
to  us;  I  felt  at  times  almost  in  despair,  but 
the  thought  of  the  good  God's  promises  to  the 
patient,  cheered  me  up,  and  I  knew  that  in 
His  own  time  my  prayer  would  be  answered. 
What  a  different  Thanksgiving  this  is  from 
what  we  all  have  expected,  when  we  thought 
of  Kate's  vacant  chair!  Only  think,  we  have 
never  yet  been  separated  on  this  blessed  day 
during  all  the  years  we  have  lived  at  Errol- 
strath !  But  we  little  thought  that  we  should  be 
together  to-day." 

"  We  have  much  to  be  thankful  for,"  said  Mr. 


164  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Thompson ;  "  excellent  crops,  good  luck  with  our 
stock,  and  to  cap  the  climax,  our  beloved  Kate  is 
restored  to  us." 

The  Thanksgiving  dinners  at  Errolstrath  were 
composed  of  those  conventional  dishes  which 
make  up  the  celebration  of  the  festival  in  New 
England,  and  the  one  at  Errolstrath  that  day  was 
perfect  in  its  resemblance  to  those  of  the  old 
homestead  in  Vermont. 

While  they  were  discussing  the  good  things  on 
the  table,  Kate  was  told  how  Rob  had  got  the 
turkey  for  the  dinner,  and  also  how  matters  had 
progressed  at  the  ranche  during  her  absence,  for 
she  was  very  anxious  to  know.  Her  father  said 
that  he  had  raised  the  largest  crop  of  corn  since 
he  had  been  on  the  creek ;  that  the  wolves  had 
carried  off  two  calves  from  Errolstrath,  but  that 
many  of  the  neighbors  had  suffered  a  great 
deal  more  from  their  depredations,  and  that  a 
grand  wolf  hunt  was  contemplated  by  the  whole 
neighborhood,  for  something  had  to  be  done  to 
thin  out  the  ravenous  creatures.  Gertrude  told 
how  many  chickens  she  had,  but  Joe  gave 
them  all  the  best  news  they  had  heard  for  a 
long  time. 


KATE  ESCAPES  165 

"  I  was  over  at  Fort  Harker  yesterday,"  he  said, 
"  and  I  heard  that  General  Custer  had  attacked 
the  camp  of  Black  Kettle,  the  Cheyenne  chief,  on 
the  Washita  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and  com- 
pletely wiped  them  out.  The  war  is  ended,  and 
the  savages  are  suing  for  a  peace  which  General 
Sheridan  says  they  will  be  sure  to  keep  this  time. 
The  commanding  officer  told  me  that  Custer 
would  soon  arrive  at  the  fort,  and  that  the  set- 
tlers need  have  little  more  fear;  that  they  may 
go  anywhere  now  without  expecting  to  lose 
their  hair.  He  said  that  Sheridan  had  been  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-general  for  the 
brilliant  success  of  his  winter  campaign,  and  that 
he  would  shortly  be  at  Fort  Harker  on  his  way 
to  Washington." 

"  Well,  that  is  glorious  news,"  said  Mr.  Tucker. 
"  No  more  stealing  pretty  little  girls  from  their 
homes,  eh  ? " 

When  Joe  had  finished  his  joyous  piece  of 
intelligence,  the  family  adjourned  to  the  big  sit- 
ting-room, and  Kate  was  asked  to  tell  the  won- 
derful story  of  her  capture  and  escape.  She 
seated  herself  in  her  favorite  chair,  an  old  Boston 
rocker,  brought  from  Vermont  and  nicely  cush- 


1 66        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

ioned  at  the  back,  and  was  making  ready  to 
begin,  when  her  mother  said :  — 

"  What  in  the  world,  Kate,  possessed  you  to  go 
away  from  the  house  that  day  and  to  tell  none  of 
us  where  you  intended  to  go  ? " 

"  Why,"  answered  Kate,  "  I  remembered  that 
you  were  very  fond  of  raspberries,  and  I  thought 
that,  as  they  must  be  ripe,  I  would  saddle  Gin- 
ger and  go  up  to  the  patch  to  get  some,  for  I 
wanted  to  surprise  you.  I  took  my  little  Indian 
basket—" 

"  Buffalo  Bill  found  your  basket  on  the  trail  the 
other  side  of  Bluff  Creek  ford,"  interrupted  Joe, 
"and  that  is  how  we  came  to  know  that  the 
Indians  had  captured  you." 

"  I  remember  now,"  said  Kate,  "  that  I  held  on 
to  it  for  a  long  time  and  then  dropped  it.  I 
don't  know  why  I  kept  it  in  my  hand.  Well, 
as  I  was  saying,  I  rode  out  to  the  patch,  tied 
Ginger  to  a  sumac  bush,  and  began  to  pick  the 
berries,  which  were  ripe  as  I  had  expected.  I 
had  nearly  filled  my  basket  when  with  a  dash 
that  nearly  frightened  me  out  of  my  senses,  a 
band  of  Indians  came  from  the  other  side  of  the 
big  ledge,  and  before  I  knew  where  I  was,  I 


"I  had  nearly  filled  my  basket. 


KATE   ESCAPES  167 

found  myself  in  front  of  a  horrible-looking  sav- 
age, and  the  whole  band  started  south  as  tight 
as  their  ponies  could  go.  I  remember  hearing 
Ginger  give  a  snort,  as  he  jerked  up  by  the 
roots  the  bush  I  had  tied  him  to,  and  fairly  flew 
towards  the  ranche  —  " 

"  There,  mother,"  said  Joe,  "  that's  just  what  I 
told  you  when  Ginger  came  home  with  the  sumac 
fastened  to  his  bridle !  " 

"  Oh,  if  I  could  only  have  jumped  on  Ginger's 
back,"  continued  Kate,  "  before  the  Indians  had 
got  me,  they  never  would  have  had  the  ghost  of 
a  chance  of  catching  me.  But  they  came  upon 
me  before  I  had  the  least  idea  they  were  any- 
where near. 

"  We  rode  all  that  afternoon,  halting  for  a 
few  moments,  long  after  dark,  for  the  Indians 
to  change  ponies,  as  they  had  some  loose  ones 
with  them.  We  kept  on  at  a  good  gait  all  that 
night,  until  about  daylight,  when  we  stayed  for 
more  than  an  hour  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Arkansas  River,  to  graze  the  ponies  among  the 
sand  hills,  and  for  the  Indians  to  eat  their  break- 
fast. They  were  quite  kind  to  me;  gave  me 
some  dried  buffalo  meat,  and  brought  me  some 


1 68        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

water  from  the  stream  in  a  horn,  and  tried  to 
make  me  understand  that  they  did  not  intend 
to  harm  me. 

"  Of  course,  I  was  frightened  at  the  idea  of  be- 
ing carried  off  by  the  horrid  savages,  but  I  tried 
to  keep  my  senses,  and  watched  every  tree  and 
rock  on  the  trail.  I  looked  at  the  sun  to  learn 
which  way  we  were  going,  and  determined  in 
my  mind  that  I  would  escape  at  the  first 
opportunity. 

"  On  the  tops  of  the  highest  points  of  the  hills, 
I  saw  the  stone  monuments,  which  Joe  had  often 
told  me  were  placed  by  the  savages  on  their 
travels  from  place  to  place,  as  marks  to  show 
where  water  and  wood  are  to  be  found." 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Tucker;  "you  can  see  those 
piles  of  stones  on  every  hill  about  here;  and  from 
them  you  can  always  see  water  or  timber,  indi- 
cating where  to  camp." 

"  They  were  to  be  seen  on  every  divide  we 
crossed,"  continued  Kate ;  "  and  besides,  I  saw  lots 
of  the  compass-plant,  or  rosin-weed,  the  leaves  of 
which,  Joe  had  told  me,  always  pointed  north,  so 
I  felt  satisfied  if  I  could  ever  escape,  I  would 
have  no  trouble  in  finding  my  way  back  to  the 


KATE  ESCAPES  169 

Oxhide.1  After  a  long,  wearisome  ride,  until  the 
next  morning,  we  arrived  at  the  Canadian  River, 
which  the  Indians  called  the  *  Mai-om,'  or  Red, 
and  on  the  bank  of  which  was  the  village  con- 
sisting of  about  a  hundred  lodges. 

"  There  I  was  turned  over  to  the  women,  who 
treated  me  very  decently,  an&  I  immediately  be- 
gan to  study  the  language,  for  I  knew  that  that 
would  help  me  in  getting  into  their  good  graces. 
I  willingly  took  hold  of  the  work  which  falls  to 
the  lot  of  the  squaws  in  every  camp,  and  taught 
them  how  to  cook  after  the  white  style.  You 
may  imagine  I  had  plenty  to  do,  for  the  warriors 
liked  the  biscuit  I  used  to  make,  and  they  some- 
times had  a  good  deal  of  flour  for  which  they  had 
traded  with  the  white  men  who  bought  their  furs. 

"  I  made  friends  of  the  dogs  in  the  village, 
and  there  were  hundreds  of  them,  some  of  them 
miserable  curs,  but  they  could  make  more  noise 
than  a  pack  of  wolves;  and  I  thought  if  I  could 
teach  them  to  know  me,  they  would  not  bother 

1  The  compass-plant,  or  rosin-weed,  as  it  is  commonly  called,  is 
the  Silphium  laciniatum  of  the  botanists.  It  is  found  in  lux- 
uriance on  every  hill-top  on  the  great  plains,  and  resembles  an  im- 
mense oak  leaf,  which,  while  growing,  always  points  its  thin  edges 
north  and  south,  consequently  broad  surfaces  east  and  west. 


I/O  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

me  when  I  attempted  to  run  away ;  for  you  know 
that  they  are  the  most  watchful  animals  imagina- 
ble. At  night,  not  the  slightest  sound  escapes 
their  well-trained  ears,  and  at  the  approach  of  a 
human  being,  they  set  up  the  most  terrific  bark- 
ing and  howling  you  ever  heard.  Well,  I  soon 
made  friends  with  every  one  of  them,  and  I  could 
go  around  the  village  after  dark,  and  they  would 
not  utter  a  growl. 

"I  watched  very  closely  the  large  herd  of 
ponies,  —  there  were  more  than  two  hundred 
belonging  to  the  village,  —  to  find  out  which 
one  of  them  was  the  fleetest,  and  had  the  most 
endurance.  I  picked  out  the  little  roan  I  rode 
here,  and,  Joe,  I  will  make  him  a  present  to  you; 
for  if  you  had  not  taught  me  so  much  about 
plants,  and  the  methods  of  the  Indians,  and  be- 
fore all  things  else,  taken  such  pains  with  me 
when  I  wanted  to  ride  a  pony,  I  never  should 
have  been  able  to  run  away  and  come  home 
safely." 

"  Thank  you,  Kate,"  said  Joe.  "  We  have  kept 
Ginger  just  as  finely  as  ever  for  you,  and  he  is 
the  best  pony  in  the  whole  country,  I  don't  care 
how  many  the  Indians  may  have." 


KATE   ESCAPES  I /I 

Kate  went  on  with  her  wonderful  experience. 
"  Near  the  tepee  where  I  slept  I  found  an  old 
elm  tree  that  had  a  great  hollow  in  it  near  the 
roots,  and  I  determined  to  make  it  my  store- 
house for  the  food  I  should  need  when  I  ran 
away.  I  did  not,  of  course,  begin  to  hide  any- 
thing in  it  until  I  had  been  in  the  village  for  over 
four  months.  Then  I  used  to  save  little  by  little 
of  my  portion  of  the  dried  buffalo  meat,  as  I 
knew  that  it  would  keep  for  a  long  time  without 
spoiling. 

"  We  ate  all  sorts  of  things  that  at  first  rather 
disgusted  me;  puppy-stew,  for  instance.  Now, 
mother  and  Gertrude,  don't  laugh ;  I  really  soon 
learned  to  like  it,  though  I  never  expect  to  be 
compelled  to  eat  it  again.  It  is  the  cleanest 
thing  the  Indians  have,  if  you  will  only  get  over 
the  natural  prejudice  against  eating  dog.  Why, 
just  think,  the  puppies  are  only  sucklings  when 
they  are  eaten ;  they  have  tasted  nothing  but  their 
mother's  milk,  and  the  mothers  are  fed  on  buffalo 
meat  only. 

"  I  suppose  that  you,  mother  and  Gert,  want 
to  know  how  puppy-stew  is  prepared  ?  Well, 
when  the  little  things  are  rolling  fat,  as  round  as 


172  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

a  ball  of  butter,  the  old  woman  who  has  charge 
of  the  lodge  takes  them  up  and  feels  them  all 
over,  and  if  satisfactory,  she  chokes  them  to  death 
by  literally  hanging  them  to  a  tree  with  a  buffalo 
sinew.  When  dead,  they  are  singed  before  the 
fire,  just  as  you  singe  a  fowl ;  the  entrails  are 
taken  out,  and  then  the  flesh  is  boiled  in  a  pot, 
and  eaten  as  hot  as  possible.  The  savages,  partic- 
ularly the  old  squaws,  can  take  up  in  their  buffalo- 
horn  spoons,  meat  which  would  scald  a  white 
person  to  death,  and  swallow  it  without  the 
slightest  difficulty.  I  suppose  that  that,  and 
their  constant  brooding  over  a  smoky  fire  in  the 
tepees,  makes  them  look  so  old  and  wrinkled 
at  an  early  age.  They  are  the  most  horrid-look- 
ing witches  you  ever  saw,  and  they  would  need 
no  '  fixing  up '  to  play  the  part  in  Macbeth." 

"  Talking  of  curious  dishes  eaten  by  the  In- 
dians," said  Mr.  Tucker,  "  up  in  Oregon,  where 
I  was  trapping  a  good  many  years  ago,  the 
squaws  make  what  I  call  Indian  jelly-cake.  They 
take  the  black  crickets,  roasted,  which  form  a 
large  portion  of  their  subsistence,  and  make  a 
kind  of  bread  of  them,  after  having  ground  them 
on  a  flat  stone.  They  then  spread  on  it  the 


KATE  ESCAPES  1/3 

boiled  berries  of  the  service  tree  or  bush,  and  if 
it  was  not  manipulated  by  their  very  dirty  hands, 
it  would  be  very  palatable." 

"The  Indians  of  the  great  plains,"  continued 
Kate,  :;live  almost  exclusively  on  meat;  they 
gather  a  few  berries  sometimes,  but  their  principal 
diet  is  buffalo  meat. 

"  After  I  had  been  in  the  village  for  over  four 
months,  I  began  to  think  of  trying  to  escape. 
My  clothes  were  becoming  more  ragged  every 
day,  and  I  was  obliged  to  resort  to  the  blanket 
as  a  covering,  though  I  kept  what  I  had  worn 
there  as  long  as  I  could. 

"One  day  there  was  a  great  feast  in  the  village, 
with  dancing  and  carousing,  which  the  warriors 
kept  up  until  long  after  midnight,  and  conse- 
quently slept  very  soundly.  Now,  thought  I,  is 
my  time.  So  after  I  found  out  that  the  old 
squaw  with  whom  I  lodged  was  sound  asleep,  I 
crept  up,  and  looked  out  to  see  what  kind  of  a 
night  it  was.  The  moon  was  low  down  in  the 
western  heavens,  but  bright  enough  for  me  to  see 
the  trail,  so  I  determined  to  make  the  attempt. 
I  took  a  piece  of  buffalo  robe  for  a  saddle,  and 
went  out  to  the  herd  to  catch  the  pony  on  which 


1/4        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

I  had  had  my  eyes  for  such  a  long  time,  and  had 
petted  whenever  I  was  not  watched.  The  dogs, 
of  course,  had  come  out  of  their  holes  to  see  what 
was  going  on,  having  heard  my  almost  noiseless 
footsteps;  but  recognizing  me  instantly,  they 
did  not  set  up  their  customary  howl.  They  went 
back  to  sleep  without  making  any  trouble,  and  I 
walked  out  to  the  herd  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away,  and  soon  found  the  little  roan  I  wanted. 
He  came  up  to  me  without  a  neigh,  luckily,  and 
I  fastened  the  piece  of  robe  on  him,  tucked  the 
dried  buffalo  meat,  which  I  had  taken  from  my 
hiding-place,  into  my  bosom,  and  jumping  on, 
started  at  a  pace  which,  if  I  had  not  been  a  good 
rider,  would  have  tossed  me  off  before  I  had  gone 
half  a  dozen  yards. 

"  The  pony  seemed  to  know  just  what  I  re- 
quired of  him,  for  he  ran  on  a  good  lope,  with  his 
belly  almost  touching  the  ground,  and  in  a  little 
while  I  had  crossed  the  ford  of  the  Canadian, 
and  was  going  up  the  divide  on  the  other  side 
as  fast  as  I  dared  to  force  him.  I  took  a  glance 
at  the  north  star  to  get  my  bearings,  for  I  dared 
not  follow  the  broad  trail,  as  the  Indians  would 
be  sure  to  track  me,  and  struck  across  the  coun- 


KATE  ESCAPES  175 

try,  up  one  hill  and  down  the  other  until  day 
began  to  break.  Then  I  stayed  a  few  seconds 
at  a  small  branch  to  let  my  pony  drink  and  to 
take  a  swallow  myself,  and  on  I  went,  not  daring 
to  let  him  graze  yet. 

"  Mile  after  mile  the  noble  little  fellow  car- 
ried me  until  late  that  afternoon.  Of  course 
I  watered  him  at  every  creek  I  came  to,  but  did 
not  halt  until  it  had  grown  quite  dark.  Then 
I  took  him  about  a  mile  down  into  a  piece  of 
timber,  unsaddled  him  and  let  him  graze  for 
more  than  an  hour.  I  kept  my  ears  open,  fear- 
ing every  moment  to  hear  the  sound  of  ponies' 
hoofs,  for  I  felt  confident  that  the  Indians  would 
follow  me  the  moment  they  discovered  that  I  was 
gone. 

"When  I  thought  he  had  sufficiently  rested, 
and  I  had  eaten  a  small  piece  of  the  meat,  I 
mounted  him  again  and  started  on  a  lope  north- 
ward. I  kept  the  little  gallop,  changing  into 
a  brisk  walk  once  in  a  while,  until  I  could  see  by 
the  daylight  the  long  silvery  line  of  the  Arkansas, 
looking  like  a  white  snake  in  its  many  windings. 
Then  I  felt  pretty  safe,  after  I  had  stopped  and 
watched  the  trail  back  as  far  as  I  could,  which 


176  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

was  for  more  than  two  miles.  I  could  see  noth- 
ing like  dust,  nor  hear  a  sound,  so  I  began  to 
hope  that  I  had  really  escaped,  and  my  heart 
began  to  feel  lighter  than  it  had  for  many  a  long 
month. 

"  I  crossed  the  Arkansas,  which  the  Indians 
call  '  Mit-sun,5  meaning  Big,  and  it  was  up  to 
my  pony's  breast,  but  he  struggled  through 
splendidly,  though  I  got  my  moccasins  wet,  for 
the  water  came  to  my  knees.  I  did  not  mind 
that,  as  I  had  often  got  wet  through  in  the  Cana- 
dian where  we  used  to  go  swimming  almost  every 
morning  while  at  the  village.  The  squaws  are 
very  fond  of  the  water  in  that  way,  but  are  not 
so  clean  with  their  hands  as  I  would  many  a 
time  have  liked  them  to  be. 

"  On  the  other  side  of  the  divide  separating 
the  Arkansas  from  the  Smoky  Hill,  I  halted  in 
a  box-elder  grove  to  rest  my  roan,  and  rest  my- 
self, for  I  was  nearly  worn  out.  I  felt  very  safe 
then,  for  I  knew  that  I  was  approaching  the 
settlements  on  Plum  Creek,  and  if  I  had  known, 
what  Joe  has  just  told  us,  that  the  war  was  over, 
I  might  have  been  at  my  ease  all  the  way  from 
the  Arkansas. 


KATE  ESCAPES  177 

"  Early  this  morning  I  came  to  Bluff  Creek, 
at  the  very  spot  where  I  had  crossed  with  the 
Indians,  and  how  my  heart  fluttered  when  I  knew 
I  was  so  near  dear  Errolstrath !  From  that 
creek  I  rode  slowly,  as  I  knew  I  had  nothing  to 
fear  from  the  Indians,  for  the  settlements  were 
too  thick,  and  besides  it  was  daytime,  when  the 
Indians  rarely  attack. 

"  I  often  got  off  my  pony  when  it  grew  too 
dark  to  see,  to  feel  the  leaves  of  the  compass- 
plant,  that  I  could  always  find  without  much 
hunting  on  every  hill.  Now,  mamma  and  father, 
don't  you  think  that  I  have  made  a  famous 
ride?" 

"  We  all  think  so,"  said  her  father;  "it  is  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  on  record,  and  we  rejoice 
more  than  even  you  can  imagine,  to  have  our 
dear  daughter  back  again,  well  as  ever,  after  such 
an  experience." 

"Why  don't  the  Indians  raise  corn?"  inquired 
Rob,  in  a  general  way ;  "  it  is  so  easily  grown  out 
here  on  the  plains." 

"Some  of  the  tribes  do,"  replied  Mr.  Tucker. 
"  The  Sioux  and  the  Mandans  have  always  had 
their  corn-fields,  but  as  usual  the  women  have  to 


1/8         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

do  all  the  work.  Do  you  know,  Rob,  that  the 
corn  is  a  native  plant  of  North  and  South 
America,  yet  it  has  never  been  found  wild?" 

"  Do  tell  us  about  it,"  said  Mrs.  Thompson ; 
and  Kate  asked  if  there  were  not  some  legend 
connected  with  it,  "  for  there  is  not  a  thing  that 
they  eat,  without  its  wonderful  story." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Mr.  Tucker.  "  There  is  a 
beautiful  legend  among  the  Sioux,  which  I 
learned  from  them  when  I  was  among  them  in 
1840,  and  as  it  is  not  late  yet,  if  you  like,  I  will 
tell  it  to  you." 

"  Do !  do !  "  all  exclaimed  in  chorus. 

"  Of  course,"  began  Mr.  Tucker,  "  among  the 
Indians  the  origin  of  corn  is  wrapped  up  in  the 
supernatural  legends  of  the  race,  of  which  there 
are  several,  differing  materially,  however,  in  their 
details.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  nowhere  in  all 
the  vast  domain  of  both  Americas,  has  a  wild 
species  of  corn  been  discovered ;  and  yet  the 
inhabitants  of  these  continents  have  used  it  from 
the  earliest  times,  of  which  even  history  has  no 
record.  Yet,  at  some  time  in  the  unchronicled 
past  it  must  have  grown  wild.  An  unknown 
benefactor  of  his  race  —  one  whose  name  not 


KATE  ESCAPES  179 

even  tradition  preserves,  excepting  in  unintelligi- 
ble myths  —  saw  somewhere,  the  feathery  tassels 
and  glossy  blades  with  their  silken  ears  amidst 
the  foliage  of  a  sedgy  river  bank,  and  owing  to 
his  first  care,  the  wild  plant,  after  many  ages, 
has  become  the  maize  of  commerce,  and  the  king 
of  all  the  cereals  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

"  When  Columbus  found  the  New  World,  corn 
was  the  staple  food  of  all  tribes  of  Indians  from 
the  far  north  to  the  extreme  south,  who  at- 
tempted to  cultivate  the  soil  at  all. 

"  The  celebrated  Pere  Marquette,  the  Catholic 
priest  who  passed  his  life  among  the  savages, 
met  with  it  at  every  point,  on  his  memorable 
journey  down  the  Mississippi  River,  in  1 763.  It 
has  been  exhumed  from  tombs  of  a  greater  an- 
tiquity than  those  of  the  Incas  of  Peru.  Darwin 
discovered  heads  of  it  embedded  in  an  ancient 
beach  that  had  been  upheaved  eighty-five  feet 
above  the  sea-level. 

"  That  Indian  corn  is  indigenous  to  America, 
has  never  been  questioned  by  botanists,  for 
Europe  knew  nothing  of  it  until  Columbus 
returned  home  from  our  shores. 

"Longfellow  has  poetically  told  of  one  of  the 


180  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Indian  traditions  of  the  origin  of  corn,  in  his 
Hiawatha  s  Fasting. 

"  The  legend  was  first  transmitted  to  the  white 
men  by  Rattlesnake,  and  strange  to  say,  he  was  a 
chief  of  the  Kansas  or  Kaw  tribe  of  Indians. 
He  related  it  on  an  island  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Kansas  River,  in  1673,  as  is  recorded  in  the  old 
French  manuscript  of  an  early  traveller. 

"  It  states  that  a  band  of  a  hundred  Kansas 
Indians  in  returning  from  a  successful  raid  on  the 
Shawnees,  of  whom  they  had  taken  several  prison- 
ers, halted  on  the  island,  taking  advantage  of  the 
thick  timber  which  grew  in  groups,  as  a  conven- 
ient spot  to  torture  their  captives. 

"  Pere  Marquette,  whom  the  Indians  called 
'  The  White  Prophet,'  happened  to  be  there  most 
opportunely ;  for  through  the  respect  and  venera- 
tion in  which  the  monk  was  held,  he  saved  the 
lives  of  the  hapless  Shawnees,  who  were  set  at 
liberty.  That  evening  while  eating  their  supper 
of  cooked  hominy,  the  good  priest  asked  for  the 
legend  which  told  of  the  origin  of  Indian  corn, 
and  Rattlesnake  gave  it,  as  he  said  he  had  often 
heard  it  at  his  mother's  knee. 

"  It  is  the  same  story  the  Sioux  told  me,  but  I 


KATE  ESCAPES  l8l 

will  follow  the  language  of  the  old  manuscript, 
for  I  have  often  read  it. 

"  Once  when  the  world  was  young,  and  there 
were  but  few  red  men  in  it,  there  was  a  chief 
whose  wife  bore  him  many  children.  Every 
summer  added  one  and  sometimes  two  to  his 
family.  They  became  so  numerous  that  the 
father  could  not  give  them  sufficient  food,  and 
the  hungry  children  were  continually  crying.  By 
great  patience  and  skill  in  hunting,  however,  the 
chief  at  length  raised  a  large  family,  until  his 
eldest  son  reached  the  stature  of  manhood. 

"  In  those  days  the  red  men  all  lived  in  peace 
and  friendship.  There  was  no  war,  and  no  scalp- 
locks  hung  from  the  doors  of  the  lodges.  The 
eldest  son  had  the  fear  of  the  Great  Spirit  in  his 
heart,  and,  like  his  father,  he  toiled  patiently  in 
the  chase  that  he  might  assist  in  procuring  food 
for  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

"  In  those  days  all  of  the  promising  young  men, 
at  their  entrance  into  manhood,  had  to  separate 
themselves  from  the  tribe,  and  retire  into  the 
forest,  to  see  if  the  Great  Spirit  would  grant 
them  some  request.  During  this  time  there  was 
to  be  neither  eating  nor  drinking,  but  they  were 


1 82        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

to  spend  the  hours  in  thinking  intently  on  the 
request  they  were  making  of  the  Manitou. 

"  When  the  young  man  had  gone  a  long  dis- 
tance in  the  forest,  he  began  to  pray  to  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  to  ask  for  a  favor  which  he  had 
long  cherished  in  his  heart  for  the  occasion.  He 
had  often  felt  how  frequently  the  chase  had  dis- 
appointed the  red  men,  and  how  often  their 
families  had  gone  to  sleep  hungry,  because  they 
had  no  meat.  He  had  always  determined  when 
his  fasting  and  dreaming  hour  should  come,  that 
he  would  ask  the  Great  Spirit  to  give  the  red 
men  some  article  of  food  more  certain  than  the 
meat  obtained  in  the  chase. 

"  All  that  day  the  youth  prayed,  and  thought 
of  his  request,  and  neither  water  nor  food  entered 
his  mouth. 

"At  night,  with  a  bright  hope  in  his  young 
heart,  he  lay  down  to  sleep.  Soon  he  had  a 
vision.  He  saw  a  magnificently  attired  youth 
coming  toward  him.  He  was  clad  in  robes  of 
green,  and  green  plumes  hung  gracefully  about 
his  comely  countenance. 

"  *  My  dear  young  friend,5  said  the  stranger, 
'the  Great  Spirit  has  heard  your  prayer,  but  the 


KATE  ESCAPES  183 

boon  you  ask  is  a  great  boon ;  and  you  must  pass 
through  a  heavy  trial  of  suffering  and  patience 
before  you  will  see  the  realization  of  your  wish. 

"'You  must  first  try  your  strength  with  me, 
and  suffer  nothing  to  enter  your  lips  until  I  am 
overcome,  before  you  will  receive  your  reward. 
Come,  the  night  wears  apace,  let  us  wrestle  amid 
the  trees/ 

"  The  chiefs  son  had  a  big  heart,  and  knew  no 
fear,  so  he  closed  with  his  graceful  antagonist. 
He  found  him  endowed  with  muscles  like  the 
oak,  and  he  had  the  wind  of  a  wolf,  that  never 
was  exhausted  by  effort.  Long  and  long  they 
wrestled,  but  so  equal  was  their  strength  that 
neither  could  claim  any  decided  advantage. 
'  Enough,  my  friend,  for  this  time.  You  have 
struggled  manfully.  Still  resist  your  appetite, 
give  yourself  up  wholly  to  prayer  and  fasting, 
and  you  will  receive  the  gratification  of  your 
desires.  Farewell  until  to-morrow  night,  when  I 
will  return  to  wrestle  with  you  again.'  Then 
the  young  visitor,  with  his  green  plumes  waving 
over  his  head,  took  his  flight  toward  the  skies, 
the  green  and  yellow  vestments  with  which  he 
was  clad  expanding  like  wings. 


1 84        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

"When  the  Indian  awoke,  he  found  himself 
panting  like  a  stag  when  chased  by  the  wolves, 
and  the  perspiration  dropped  from  his  body; 
yet  his  heart  was  light,  for  he  knew  a  sign  had 
come  from  the  Manitou.  Although  he  was 
very  hungry  that  day,  and  some  berries  and 
grapes  tempted  him  sorely,  he  refrained  from 
touching  them,  resisting  successfully  these  natu- 
ral desires. 

"  Night  came,  and  the  young  Indian  closed 
his  eyes  in  sleep ;  and  lo !  there  was  a  continu- 
ance of  his  former  vision.  He  saw  coming 
toward  him  the  graceful  being  he  had  seen  on 
the  previous  night.  The  silken  wings  of  green 
and  gold  swept  through  the  air  with  great 
velocity,  and  the  green  plumes  on  his  head 
waved  rhythmically  in  their  beauty. 

"  They  again  wrestled,  as  before,  and  although 
the  Indian  had  neither  eaten  nor  drunk,  he  felt 
his  strength  greater  than  in  the  previous  con- 
flict; and  he  obtained  some  signal  advantage 
over  his  celestial  competitor.  They  were  strug- 
gling together  when  the  morning  commenced 
to  look  upon  the  world,  and  he>  of  the  green 
plumes  thus  addressed  the  Indian  youth:  — 


KATE  ESCAPES  1 85 

"  *  My  friend,  on  our  next  trial  you  will  be 
the  victor.  Now,  listen  how  I  instruct  you  to 
take  advantage  of  your  conquest.  When  my 
efforts  cease  I  shall  die.  Strip  me  of  my  yel- 
low garments  and  bury  me  in  soft  and  new- 
made  earth.  Visit  my  grave  week  by  week, 
for  in  a  little  time  I  shall  return  to  life  in  the 
form  of  a  plant,  which  you  will  readily  recog- 
nize by  its  resemblance  to  me.  Let  no  weeds 
or  grass  be  near  me  to  keep  the  dew  and  sun- 
shine from  my  green  leaves,  and  once  a  month 
draw  the  fresh  earth  to  my  body,  that  it  may 
grow  and  strengthen.  When  ears  have  shot 
from  my  side,  and  the  silk  which  shall  fall  from 
their  tops  commences  to  dry,  then  pull  the  ear, 
strip  it  of  its  garments  as  you  will  strip  me 
when  I  am  dead.  Place  the  milky  grains  be- 
fore the  fire  which  will  cook  the  outside  with- 
out destroying  any  of  the  juicy  substance.  Then 
all  the  race  of  man  will  have  a  sweeter  and 
stronger  food  than  they  have  ever  known  be- 
fore. There  shall  be  no  more  hunger  upon  the 
earth  excepting  among  those  who  have  a  lazy 
spirit,  or  whom  the  Bad  Manitou  claims  as  his 
own.' 


1 86        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

"  When  the  Indian  awoke,  he  felt  very  weak 
from  hunger,  and  it  required  all  the  resolution 
of  which  he  was  master  to  restrain  the  gratifi- 
cation of  his  appetite,  but  he  passed  the  day  in 
fasting  and  prayer,  and  at  nightfall  laid  himself 
down  to  sleep. 

"  True  to  his  promise,  his  friend  of  the  green 
plumes  again  appeared  in  his  trance,  and  again 
the  wrestle  commenced.  The  young  Indian  was 
exceedingly  weak  from  his  long  fasting,  but  when 
engaged  in  the  conflict  he  felt  his  heart  grow  big 
within  him;  his  arms  became  as  strong  as  the 
young  oaks  of  the  forest,  and  after  a  short  strug- 
gle he  threw  his  antagonist  to  the  ground.  The 
young  Indian  stood  by  the  side  of  his  adversary 
who  said  that  he  was  dying,  and  told  him  to 
remember  the  instructions  he  had  given  him. 
The  young  Indian  accordingly  stripped  the  body 
of  its  vesture  of  mingled  green  and  yellow,  and 
carefully  digging  a  grave,  deposited  it  in  the  soft 
earth.  He  thought  that  the  earth  adhered  to  his 
hand  in  a  strange  manner,  and  at  that  moment 
he  awoke,  and  found  in  his  hand  a  seed  such  as 
he  had  never  before  seen. 

"  The  Indian  then  knew  that  the  Manitou  had 


KATE  ESCAPES  187 

heard  his  prayer,  and  that  the  grain  was  the  body 
of  his  friend.  He  then  went  from  the  forest  to 
the  prairie,  made  soft  the  earth,  and  planted  the 
strange  seed  sent  to  him  in  his  dream. 

"  He  then  returned  to  his  father's  lodge,  and 
the  whole  family  were  anxious  to  know  if  he  had 
received  any  sign  from  the  Great  Spirit,  but  he 
evaded  all  inquiries  and  kept  his  important  secret. 
Every  morning,  before  the  sun's  bright  rays  had 
looked  upon  the  earth,  he  was  beside  the  grave 
of  the  seed,  and  carefully  kept  the  grass  and 
weeds  away. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  ninth  day,  the  faith- 
ful youth  saw  a  green  plant  shooting  from  the 
earth,  and  as  he  gazed  on  its  green  blades,  he 
knew  at  once  the  friend  with  whom  he  had 
wrestled. 

"  Once  each  month  he  drew  the  fresh  earth  to 
the  stalks,  which  grew  day  by  day  until  they  far 
overtopped  his  own  stature,  and  then  there  began 
to  protrude  from  their  sides  the  shoots  from 
which  a  mass  of  silken  fibres  issued.  In  a  short 
time  the  plant  began  to  dry,  as  had  been  foretold 
to  him,  and  then  he  invited  his  father,  mother, 
brothers,  and  sisters  to  the  spot  and  showed  them 


1 88         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

what  the  Great  Spirit  had  sent  him  at  his  fasting 
season.  He  then  pulled  one  of  the  two  ears 
and  roasted  it  before  the  fire. 

"  The  whole  family  tasted  the  new  food,  and 
they  liked  it.  The  other  ear  was  kept  for  seed, 
and  in  a  few  years  the  red  man  had  plenty  of  the 
new  food  which  the  Manitou  had  sent  him." 

"  That  is  a  beautiful  story,"  said  Mrs.  Thomp- 
son, and  the  others  all  agreed  with  her.  "  Kate, 
you  must  be  very  tired ;  don't  you  want  to  go  to 
bed  and  sleep  like  a  Christian  once  more  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  the  young  girl,  "  my  muscles  are 
*  like  the  oak  trees  in  the  forest/  as  were  those 
of  the  Indian  who  got  the  corn  from  the  spirit 
with  the  green  wings.  Besides,  it's  only  seven 
o'clock,  and  I  want  to  look  at  you  all  for  some 
time  yet." 

Before  eight  o'clock,  Buffalo  Bill  and  Colonel 
Keogh  came  over  from  the  fort,  as  they  had 
heard  from  some  one  from  Oxhide  that  Kate 
had  come  home,  and  they  wanted  to  see  her. 

They  were  both  surprised  at  her  excellent  con- 
dition, and  Bill  ventured  the  remark  that  the 
Indians  had  certainly  used  her  much  better  than 
they  would  have  used  him  had  he  been  in  her  place. 


KATE  ESCAPES  189 

"  I've  no  doubt  of  that,"  said  Mr.  Tucker ;  "  they 
would  have  had  a  roasting  frolic  if  they  had 
caught  you  instead  of  our  little  friend  Kate ! " 

"  Well,"  said  Colonel  Keogh,  "  the  war  is  ended, 
and  I  guess  we  have  had  the  last  trouble  in  Kan- 
sas that  we  shall  ever  have.  The  Indians  are 
going  peacefully  to  their  reservations,  where  the 
Government  will  feed  them,  which  is  cheaper 
than  fighting  them,  at  anyrate !  General  Custer 
is  at  the  fort,  and  he  has  heard  so  much  of  Joe 
that  he  wants  to  see  him,  and  take  him  on  a  wolf 
hunt  in  a  day  or  two." 

"  I'll  go,  Colonel,  for  sure,  for  they  are  carry- 
ing off  calves  and  hogs  every  night  from  some 
of  the  ranches  on  this  creek,"  said  Joe. 

"  Talking  about  wolves,"  said  Colonel  Keogh, 
"  I  never  saw  so  many  together  in  all  my  life  as 
I  did  after  the  battle  of  the  Washita.  We  found 
the  bunch  of  ponies  belonging  to  the  Indians, 
numbering  about  twelve  hundred,  and  General 
Custer  ordered  them  all  to  be  killed,  as  a  neces- 
sity, to  prevent  other  savages  from  getting  them. 
A  Plains  Indian  without  a  horse  to  ride  is  as 
helpless  as  a  child.  He  won't  walk,  and  it  was 
thought  that  by  killing  all  the  ponies  we  found,  it 


190  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

would  cripple  the  savages  as  effectually  as  if  we 
killed  the  same  number  of  warriors.  The  bunch 
was  driven  into  a  narrow  canon  near  their  camp, 
and  as  they  huddled  against  the  high  rocky  wall, 
a  detachment  of  the  cavalry  was  detailed  to  shoot 
them.  We  camped  near  there  for  a  few  days, 
and  at  night  the  wolves  would  congregate  there 
to  feed  upon  the  dead  bodies  of  the  ponies.  I 
suppose  they  came  from  a  distance  of  a  hundred 
miles,  for  you  know  a  wolf  thinks  nothing  of 
going  that  far  for  a  good  meal.  It  happened  to 
be  the  time  of  the  full  moon,  and  just  after  night- 
fall a  lot  of  us  used  to  go  and  ride  on  top  of  the 
bluff  to  watch  the  wolves  come  to  the  feast.  I 
think  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  five  thou- 
sand of  the  hungry  creatures  gathered  there 
every  evening,  as  long  as  any  flesh  remained  on 
the  bones  of  the  slaughtered  ponies.  Such  snap- 
ping, snarling,  growling,  and  fighting  was  never 
heard  before.  You  could  hear  them  for  two  miles 
easily.  Some  of  them  were  so  pugnacious  and 
ravenous  that  they  actually  killed  and  devoured 
each  other !  I  do  not  believe  such  a  scene  was 
ever  witnessed  before  or  will  be  again." 

"  You  have  all  heard  that  Sheridan  has  been 


KATE  ESCAPES  IQI 

promoted  to  be  lieutenant-general,  and  Sher- 
man to  be  general,  as  Grant  has  been  elected  to 
the  Presidency  ?  "  said  Buffalo  Bill.  "  Sheridan 
received  notice  on  Kansas  soil  of  his  well-deserved 
promotion,  and  it  makes  the  place  classic  ground. 
I  will  tell  you  how  it  was.  Of  course,  official 
notice  of  the  promotion  was  daily  expected,  as 
it  had  been  seen  in  the  papers  from  Washing- 
ton, but  the  mails  were  very  irregular  in  the 
vast  uninhabited  region  south  of  the  Arkansas. 
It  was  carried  by  the  scouts  from  Fort  Hays, 
the  nearest  railroad  point,  and  they  also  took 
despatches  to  the  scattered  military  posts  that 
had  been  established  temporarily,  in  the  form  of 
camps,  cantonments,  or  wherever  a  detachment 
of  troops  happened  to  be.  Early  one  morning 
General  Sheridan,  accompanied  by  two  officers  of 
his  personal  staff,  left  Camp  Supply  in  the  In- 
dian Territory  for  Fort  Hays,  to  take  the  railroad 
for  Washington,  where  he  had  been  ordered  to 
report.  When  the  party  had  arrived  at  the  foot 
of  a  high  mountain,  just  on  the  border  of  this 
state,  they  saw  far  ahead  of  them  on  the  trail 
made  by  the  troops  in  going  into  the  field,  a  dark 
object  moving  rapidly  toward  them.  As  the  dis- 


IQ2  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

tance  between  them  lessened,  they  noticed  that 
it  was  a  horseman  whose  animal,  flecked  with 
foam,  and  with  distended  nostrils,  was  straining 
every  muscle  to  reach  the  ambulance.  In  a  few 
moments  the  sound  of  the  horse's  hoofs  were  dis- 
tinctly heard  on  the  hard  trail,  and  when  he  had 
approached  near  enough,  its  rider,  the  excited 
scout,  recognized  Sheridan  among  the  occupants 
of  the  ambulance.  He  rose  in  his  stirrups  and 
waved  his  hat  in  one  hand,  while  in  the  other 
he  held  up  a  piece  of  yellow  paper,  crying  out 
at  the  top  of  his  voice :  — 

"'  Hurrah  for  the  lieutenant-general!'  The 
paper  he  handed  to  Sheridan  was  a  telegram  from 
the  President,  informing  him  of  his  promotion." 

"Well,"  said  Colonel  Keogh,  looking  at  the 
old-fashioned  clock  in  the  corner  of  the  room, 
"  I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late.  It's  nearly  ten. 
Come,  Cody;  we  must  get  back  to  the  fort." 
Then  saying  good-night  to  all,  with  an  admoni- 
tion to  Joe  not  to  forget  the  wolf  hunt,  of  which 
he  said  he  would  send  him  word,  they  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  off. 

Mr.  Tucker  was  to  remain  until  morning,  so 
they  all  retired,  after  having  passed  one  of  the 
most  cheerful  Thanksgivings  in  their  lives. 


CHAPTER   XII 

1WOLF   HUNT  —  TWO  SNAKE   STORIES  —  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  WITH 

A  MOUNTAIN  WOLF  —  A   MAIL   RIDER   EATEN THE   OLD  TRAP- 

PER'S    EXPERIENCE  WITH   FOUR  OF  THE   FIERCE   BEASTS 

THE  allied  tribes  of  the  plains,  now  thoroughly 
whipped  into  subjection  by  the  gallant  Sheridan 
and  his  intrepid  subordinates,  Custer  and  Sully, 
went  sullenly  to  the  reservations  recently  estab- 
lished by  the  Government  in  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  "  white-winged  Peace "  once  more 
spread  her  pinions  over  the  fair  land  of  Kansas. 
The  settlers  could  go  from  one  village  to  another 
with  perfect  immunity  from  sudden  attacks  by 
savages  hidden  in  some  ambush  on  the  trails,  so 
the  state  made  phenomenal  strides  toward  a 
greater  civilization. 

Crops  were  enormous  in  their  results  when  the 
virgin  soil  was  turned  to  the  sun,  but  the  wolves, 
especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Errolstrath,  seemed 
to  increase  with  the  prodigality  of  Jonah's  gourd. 
They  became  so  persistent  in  their  nightly  dep- 

o  193 


194  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

redations  at  the  ranches,  that  only  by  a  concen- 
trated effort  of  the  neighborhood  to  exterminate 
them  could  stock-raising  be  made  profitable. 

A  few  days  after  Colonel  Keogh's  visit  to 
Errolstrath  on  that  happy  Thanksgiving  when 
Kate  had  come  back  safely  to  her  home,  an  or- 
derly from  Fort  Marker  dismounted  in  front  of 
the  house,  bearing  a  note  to  Joe  from  General 
Custer.  It  stated  that  the  General  proposed  to 
hunt  the  wolves  the  day  after  to-morrow,  and 
desired  him  to  invite  Mr.  Tucker,  the  old  trapper, 
and  as  many  more  of  the  neighbors  who  were 
good  shots,  as  would  like  to  go.  He  wanted  the 
party  to  meet  him  at  the  mouth  of  the  Oxhide 
as  early  as  seven  o'clock.  From  this  point  he 
intended  to  go  to  the  general  rendezvous  of  the 
beasts  in  the  limestone  region,  down  the  Smoky 
Hill. 

As  soon  as  dinner  was  over  at  Errolstrath,  Joe 
saddled  his  pony,  and  started  for  Mr.  Tucker's 
ranche  three  miles  away,  to  invite  him  to  come 
over  to  stay  all  night  and  join  Custer  and  the 
others  of  the  party  on  the  morning  of  the  hunt. 

Rob  was  at  the  same  time  told  by  his  father  to 
get  his  pony  and  deliver  General  Custer's  invita- 


FIGHTS  WITH  WOLVES  195 

tion  to  as  many  of  the  neighbors  as  he  could 
reach,  and  return  by  sundown.  He  left  promptly 
on  his  mission,  but  went  in  a  direction  exactly 
opposite  from  that  of  his  brother. 

When  he  had  loped  along  about  a  mile  up  the 
Oxhide,  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  curious 
noise  which  seemed  to  come  from  the  bank  of 
the  stream.  He  rode  his  pony  through  the 
brush  toward  the  strange  sound,  and  what 
was  his  surprise  to  see  two  snakes  fighting 
right  on  the  extreme  edge  of  the  water  where 
the  bank  was  only  just  above  its  level.  One  of 
the  reptiles  was  a  black  water-snake,  and  the 
other  a  bull-snake  nearly  twice  as  thick  round  as 
his  opponent,  but  not  quite  as  long.  The  bull- 
snake  had  his  tail  firmly  wrapped  around  a  sun- 
flower stalk,  and  the  other  had  his  attached  to  a 
big  weed.  Each  had  hold  of  the  other  by  the 
middle  and  was  trying  to  pull  in  an  opposite 
direction.  It  was  evidently  the  intention  of  the 
black  snake  to  drag  his  antagonist  into  the  water 
and  drown  him,  for  he  is  a  good  swimmer,  while 
the  bull  is  not,  and  the  latter  was  just  as  deter- 
mined that  his  enemy  should  not  get  him  into 
the  stream. 


196         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

They  were  both  stretched  to  their  utmost  ten- 
sion, and  as  Rob  said,  when  he  told  about  them 
on  his  return,  he  expected  every  moment  to  see 
them  break  in  two ;  for  both  were  drawn  out  as 
thin  as  a  clothes-line.  At  last  the  hold  of  the  bull- 
snake  gave  way,  and  the  impetus,  like  the  snap- 
ping of  a  whip,  threw  them  both  into  the  water. 
Now  the  black  snake  had  a  decided  advantage, 
for  he  was  in  his  element,  and  he  immediately 
exerted  every  muscle  to  draw  his  antagonist's 
head  under.  Finally,  after  a  severe  struggle  he 
succeeded  in  holding  him  there  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, and  when  he  let  go,  the  bull-snake's  dead 
body  rose  to  the  surface.  Then  the  black  snake 
gave  a  few  shakes  to  his  tail  and  darted  off  under 
the  water,  apparently  not  the  least  injured  by  his 
death-struggle  with  his  larger  antagonist. 

Both  boys  returned  to  Errolstrath  before  sun- 
down, and  as  it  was  Rob's  month  to  take  care  of 
the  cows  and  milk  them,  he  went  promptly  about 
his  business.  Joe,  after  taking  Mr.  Tucker's 
horse  to  the  stable,  and  feeding  the  other  stock, 
returned  to  the  house,  and  sat  in  the  big  room, 
talking  to  his  guest  for  half  an  hour,  until  supper 
was  announced. 


FIGHTS  WITH  WOLVES  197 

Supper  being  cleared  away,  all  adjourned  to 
the  sitting-room  again,  and  the  boys  and  girls 
proposed  that  the  old  trapper  should  relate  some 
more  of  his  experiences  in  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
when  he  was  a  young  man ;  a  request  with  which 
he  cheerfully  complied  whenever  he  passed  a 
night  at  Errolstrath. 

After  all  were  comfortably  seated  in  their 
accustomed  places,  Rob  told  of  his  adventure 
with  the  two  snakes  on  the  bank  of  the  Oxhide, 
when  Joe,  after  his  brother  had  finished,  remark- 
ing that  coincidences  were  curious,  stated  that 
he,  too,  that  same  afternoon,  had  had  an  advent- 
ure with  three  snakes  —  one  more  than  Rob. 

"When  I  reached  the  broad  military  road  to 
Fort  Sill,"  said  he,  "at  the  crossing  of  Mud 
Creek,  I  noticed  some  distance  down  the  trail  a 
'terrible  commotion.  The  dust  was  flying  as  if  it 
had  been  twisted  around  by  a  whirlwind,  and  by 
looking  steadily  I  could  see  something  moving 
on  the  bare  earth,  where  the  grass  is  all  worn  off 
the  road.  I  rode  slowly  up  to  the  moving  object, 
ready  for  any  emergency,  when  I  discovered  three 
bull-snakes,  two  of  them  of  immense  size,  the 
third  one  not  so  large.  They  had  a  half- 


THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

grown  cottontail  among  them,  and  were  fight- 
ing bravely  for  the  sole  possession  of  the  little 
creature,  which  was  already  nearly  dead.  I 
thought  I  would  stay  to  see  the  fun,  so  I 
whipped  the  smaller  one,  and  one  of  the  larger 
of  the  reptiles  away.  They  went  hissing  into  the 
grass,  as  I  applied  my  riding-whip  to  them  pretty 
lively.  Then  I  sat  still  on  my  pony  to  watch  the 
single  snake  enjoy  the  meal  I  had  so  opportunely 
provided  for  him. 

"  Presently  he  began  to  wind  his  long  body 
around  the  rabbit,  and  I  could  hear  the  bones 
of  the  poor  thing  crack  as  the  muscular  pressure 
was  applied.  He  then  gradually  unfolded  him- 
self, turned  his  head  toward  the  muzzle  of  his 
prey,  dislocated  his  jaws,  and  commenced  to  take 
in  the  rabbit. 

"  Little  by  little  the  rabbit,  which  was  much 
larger  than  the  snake's  body,  disappeared,  until 
it  was  entirely  enveloped  by  the  reptile.  Then 
he  coolly  reset  his  jaws,  and  after  a  series  of 
hisses  —  perhaps  he  was  thanking  me  for  my 
kindness  in  interfering  on  his  behalf — he  crawled 
away  into  the  thick  grass.  I  let  him  go,  Mr. 
Tucker ;  for  we  never  kill  a  bull-snake,  they  are 


FIGHTS   WITH   WOLVES  1 99 

such  good  hunters  for  gophers,  mice,  and  even 
rabbits,  which  are  becoming  such  a  nuisance 
here.  I  saw  several  wolves,  of  course ;  you  can't 
go  a  mile  anywhere  without  seeing  them,  but  as 
I  carried  no  gun  with  me  I  did  not  try  to  inter- 
view any  of  them." 

"  I  expect  to  have  a  good  time  the  day  after  to- 
morrow," said  the  old  trapper,  "  and  it  will  recall 
some  of  my  own  experiences  with  them  years  ago." 

"Oh,  do  tell  us  about  itl"  said  Kate;  "  I  just 
love  hunting  adventures." 

"  All  right,  Kate ;  you  have  grown  into  a  kind 
of  savage  since  your  life  with  the  Indians,  eh  ? " 

"  I  heard  lots  of  wonderful  stories  from  the 
warriors  when  they  sat  around  the  fire  at  night, 
but  they  told  such  abominable  yarns  that  I  didn't 
believe  them.  They  can  stretch  a  thing  pretty 
well,  I  tell  you,"  answered  Kate. 

"Begin,  please,  Mr.  Tucker,"  said  Rob,  who 
was  as  interested  as  any  of  the  family. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  he,  "  I  will  tell  you  of  the 
brave  deed  of  a  Mexican,  which  occurred  a  good 
many  years  ago,  when  I  was  down  in  Southern 
California. 

"  He  was  a  native,  and  named  Amador   San- 


2OO  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

chez,  well  known  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas  as  a 
brave  and  successful  hunter.  He  had  a  terrible 
fight  with  one  of  those  great  shaggy,  gray  moun- 
tain wolves.  The  struggle  lasted  for  several 
hours,  and  ended  by  both  combatants  being  laid 
prostrate  on  the  ground.  They  were  so  com- 
pletely exhausted  as  to  be  unable  to  reach  each 
other  from  want  of  sheer  physical  strength.  In 
that  condition  they  passed  one  whole  night.  On 
the  following  morning,  when  the  Mexican  had 
recovered  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  creep  to  his 
shaggy  antagonist,  he  found  him  dead. 

"  The  terrible  conflict  grew  out  of  the  Mexi- 
can's daring  attempt  to  save  the  life  of  a  boy  who 
was  about  to  be  torn  to  pieces  when  the  Mexi- 
can attacked  the  wolf. 

"At  one  time  the  wolf  had  the  youth  un- 
der him  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  impossible 
for  Sanchez  to  plant  a  ball  in  any  vital  organ 
without  imperilling  the  boy's  life.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  with  both  revolver  and  rifle, 
he  succeeded  in  lodging  several  bullets  in 
other  parts  of  the  savage  beast.  Still  the  en- 
raged brute  clung  to  the  unfortunate  child, 
using  every  endeavor  to  tear  him  to  pieces  and 


FIGHTS  WITH  WOLVES  2OI 

horribly  mangling  every  part  of  his  body.  At 
this  juncture,  the  brave  Mexican  hunter  could  no 
longer  refrain  from  active  effort.  He  dropped 
his  pistols  and  rifle,  drew  his  sheath-knife  and 
slung-shot;  then  winding  his  blanket  around  his 
left  arm  to  protect  it,  he  rushed  in  and  compelled 
the  animal  to  turn  upon  him,  and  so  gave  the 
boy  a  chance  to  escape. 

"  Wounds  were  freely  given  and  returned,  but 
the  wary  Sanchez  fought  with  much  dexterity 
and  determination.  The  wolf  finally  became 
so  mad  with  rage  and  pain,  that  he  closed  in 
upon  the  Mexican  and  threw  him  headlong 
upon  the  ground,  where  he  remained  almost 
senseless  for  a  few  moments  before  recovering 
his  breath. 

"  Instead  of  following  up  his  advantage,  the 
beast,  doubtless  believing  his  enemy  dead,  because 
he  did  not  move,  commenced  to  examine  and  lick 
his  own  bleeding  wounds.  The  spirit  of  the 
intrepid  Mexican,  however,  was  up,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  conquer  the  wolf  or  die. 

"  Early  in  the  struggle,  by  a  blow  from  his 
slung-shot,  Sanchez  had  succeeded  in  breaking 
the  brute's  lower  jaw,  and  that  was  unquestionably 


2O2  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

the  fortunate  wound  which  eventually  gave  the 
victory  to  the  Mexican. 

"  Sanchez  renewed  the  fight  as  soon  as  he  felt 
himself  sufficiently  rested,  and,  by  adopting  some 
curious  tactics,  in  which  he  was  materially  assisted 
by  a  clump  of  trees,  he  succeeded  in  putting  some 
heavy  blows  with  his  knife  right  into  its  vitals. 
At  this,  the  wolf  was  aroused  again  to  an  unen- 
durable madness,  and,  gathering  himself  for  one 
grand  effort,  he  bit  at  the  Mexican's  head  and 
once  more  felled  him  to  the  earth.  From  this 
final  attack,  and  his  previous  loss  of  blood,  the 
brave  man  fainted  dead  away.  How  long  he  re- 
mained in  that  state  he  could  not  tell ;  but  when 
he  became  conscious  again,  he  found  that  the 
victory  was  on  his  side,  for  the  wolf  had  breathed 
his  last. 

"  The  poor  boy,  as  soon  as  the  battle  was  de- 
cided, as  he  supposed  at  the  cost  of  his  friend's 
life,  started  for  the  village,  arriving  there  late  the 
following  afternoon.  Upon  hearing  his  story,  a 
party  of  well-armed  men  immediately  went  to  the 
scene  of  the  struggle,  to  bury  their  brave  com- 
rade. They  were  guided  by  the  boy,  who  was 
able  to  ride  a  pony 


FIGHTS   WITH   WOLVES  2O3 

"  Arriving  at  the  spot  about  midnight,  they 
found  Sanchez  in  a  most  pitiful  condition.  His 
flesh  was  terribly  mangled,  his  clothes  were  torn 
to  ribbons,  and  his  back  and  shoulders  were  one 
mass  of  lacerated  wounds,  inflicted  by  the  sharp 
teeth  and  claws  of  the  wolf. 

"  Although  he  received  the  most  delicate  care 
and  assistance  at  the  hospital  from  those  noble 
women,  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  it  was  many 
weeks  before  he  was  able  to  resume  his  occupa- 
tion of  hunting.  Even  then  he  owed  his  life  to 
his  wonderful  recuperative  powers  and  his  iron 
constitution." 

"  What  a  terrible  time  he  must  have  had,"  said 
Kate.  "  The  gray  wolf  is  an  awful  animal  to  be 
attacked  by.  Do  you  know  that  they  very  fre- 
quently go  mad,  and  then  many  savages  are 
bitten,  and  die  a  horrible  death  from  hydrophobia  ? 
One  of  the  warriors  was  bitten  while  I  was  down 
in  the  Indian  village.  He  had  a  hand-to-hand 
tussle  with  the  wolf,  and  although  he  was  only 
slightly  bitten,  he  died  raving." 

"  Yes,  they  are  bad  brutes  to  deal  with,"  said 
the  old  trapper,  "  particularly  those  huge  fel- 
lows that  hunt  in  packs ;  a  man  has  not  the 


2O4         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

slightest  chance  with  them.  I  know  that  in 
Oregon,  about  twelve  years  ago,  the  mail  rider 
for  the  military  posts  of  Forts  Dallas  and 
Simcoe  was  caught  in  the  mountains  by  a 
pack  of  them,  and  nothing  of  him  or  his  ani- 
mal was  found  excepting  the  letter  sack,  the 
hoofs  of  his  horse,  and  some  buttons,  with  other 
portions  of  the  rider's  clothing." 

"  Have  you  ever  had  a  personal  encounter 
with  any  of  the  terrible  beasts  ? "  inquired  Mrs. 
Thompson. 

"Oh,  yes!"  replied  the  old  man.  "Ill  tell 
you  all  about  it." 

"In  1856,  I  tried  to  ranche  it  in  the  central 
portion  of  Washington  Territory.  I  had  no 
neighbor  nearer  than  thirty  miles.  I  was  a 
little  lonesome  at  first,  because  it  was  really 
the  first  time  I  had  been  without  partners,  and 
I  saw  my  neighbors  but  once  in  a  whole  year. 

"  I  remember  that  I  started  to  visit  John 
Elliott.  I  felt  that  I  needed  company,  and  he 
and  I  had  trapped  together  some  years  before, 
and  were  well  acquainted. 

"  Towards  evening,  I  started  for  my  thirty- 
mile  walk.  It  was  in  December,  and  of  course, 


FIGHTS  WITH   WOLVES  2O$ 

cool,  with  a  magnificent  full  moon  to  light  my 
trail  through  the  deep  forest  and  over  the  prairie. 

"  I  had  gone  about  two  miles,  I  think,  and 
as  I  neared  a  small  lake,  and  was  tramping 
along  the  edge  of  the  water  with  my  rifle  care- 
lessly swinging  in  my  left  hand,  I  suddenly 
heard  a  growl  that  startled  me,  and  stopping 
at  once,  I  saw  a  great  wolf  standing  with  his 
paw  buried  in  the  carcass  of  a  red  deer,  and 
his  mouth  full  of  its  flesh.  The  brute  was  not 
chewing,  for  his  jaws  were  motionless,  and  he 
looked  at  me  as  if  deciding  which  was  the  bet- 
ter meal  for  him,  that  which  he  had  under  his 
feet,  or  I.  He  was  an  immense  animal.  I  don't 
think  I  have  ever  seen  a  larger  wolf.  If  I  had 
left  him  alone  and  gone  about  my  business,  he 
would  not  have  troubled  me.  They  are  gener- 
ally cowards,  and  will  run  at  the  sight  of  man, 
unless  provoked  or  cornered,  or  are  running  in 
packs,  when  they  will  fight  to  the  death. 

"  I,  like  the  fool  that  I  was,  raised  my  rifle, 
took  a  quick  aim  at  him,  and  pulled  the  trig- 
ger. He  jumped  at  the  instant  I  fired,  and  al- 
though I  aimed  at  his  heart,  I  missed  it  and 
hit  him  in  the  upper  part  of  the  fore  leg. 


206  THE   RANCHE   ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Then  with  his  mouth  wide  open,  showing  his 
white  teeth,  and  the  froth  running  down  the 
sides  of  his  cheeks  in  his  rage,  he  came  for 
me  with  a  howl,  which  I  thought  was  answered 
by  about  fifty  more  in  the  timber. 

"  It  didn't  take  me  ten  seconds  to  get  up 
into  the  fork  of  an  oak  tree  which  stood  only 
a  few  feet  away.  By  the  time  I  was  safely  set- 
tled in  my  seat,  there  were  four  more  of  the 
great  grizzled  beasts  right  under  me,  smacking 
their  chops  and  whining  as  if  their  mouths 
watered  for  a  taste  of  my  flesh.  If  I  could 
have  talked  to  them  in  their  own  way,  I  would 
have  suggested  that  they  go  and  feast  off  of 
the  deer  which  still  lay  intact. 

"  Then,  as  I  could  not  make  them  go  away  by 
mere  suggestions,  I  loaded  my  rifle  and  shot  one 
of  them  as  dead  as  the  deer.  That  made  more 
food  for  the  others,  as  they  will  eat  each  other 
under  certain  circumstances,  but  that  particular 
time  was  not  one  of  them.  I  didn't  blame  them, 
for  the  brute  I  had  killed  was  a  long,  gaunt, 
miserably  thin,  mangy-looking  creature  that 
seemed  as  if  he  had  not  had  anything  to  eat 
for  a  month. 


FIGHTS   WITH   WOLVES  2O7 

"The  refuge  I  had  sought  from  the  ravenous 
beasts  was  but  a  sapling,  and  I  expected  it  every 
moment  to  break  with  my  weight.  Presently,  I 
heard  the  crotch  begin  to  split,  and  letting  my 
rifle  drop,  I  was  quick  enough  to  catch  my  arms 
and  legs  around  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  hold 
on  for  life  until  I  could  draw  my  knife  and  shove 
it  into  my  belt  ready  for  use. 

"  Having  accomplished  this,  I  watched  my 
chance,  and  if  there  ever  was  such  a  scared  wolf 
as  the  one  round  whose  back  I  wound  my  arms 
when  I  fell,  I'd  like  to  see  him ! 

"  We  rolled  on  the  ground  together,  and  the 
other  three  just  backed  off  to  watch  the  fight, 
and  a  pretty  moonlight  tussle  it  was.  He  got 
my  body  under  him  at  last,  and  I  thought  I  was 
done  for. 

"  I  felt  a  little  faint  when  he  sunk  his  teeth  into 
me,  but  he  didn't  seem  to  like  the  hold  he  had, 
so  he  pulled  his  teeth  out  of  me,  tore  my  coat, 
shirt,  and  flesh,  then  seized  my  fur  cap  and 
shook  it  for  a  moment,  which  was  a  lucky  mis- 
take for  me  on  his  part.  I  felt  his  wet  lips  on 
my  forehead,  and  had  just  time  to  let  go  my  hold 
on  his  throat  and  clutch  my  knife,  when  he  seized 


208  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

my  cap  again  and  made  an  attempt  to  swallow  it. 
His  throat  was  in  no  condition  to  get  it  down, 
however,  for  my  knife-blade  was  through  his 
jugular,  and  the  point  of  it  in  his  spinal  marrow, 
and  in  another  minute  he  was  dead  wolf ! 

"I  bled  considerably  when  I  got  up,  but  I 
wasn't  weakened  a  bit.  The  whole  affair  had 
occurred  in  half  a  minute,  and  I  was  ready  for 
the  other  three,  who  now  all  attacked  me  to- 
gether. I  caught  up  my  rifle  and  struck  one  of 
them  across  the  nose  and  floored  him.  As  he 
picked  himself  up  I  seized  him  by  the  hind  foot 
and  fell  upon  him.  If  the  first  wolf  was  fright- 
ened when  I  tumbled  on  him  from  the  tree, 
this  one  was  more  so.  I  can  never  forget  the 
awful  howl  he  gave  as  I  stood  up  on  my  feet 
again,  and  swinging  him  into  the  air,  struck  one 
of  the  remaining  two  a  terrible  blow  with  his 
body. 

"  The  first  one  I  had  wounded  was  scared  at 
the  novel  fight,  and  tucking  his  tail  between  his 
legs,  vanished  into  the  woods,  and  I  was  left  with 
only  two  on  my  hands.  I  caught  up  one  of  them 
as  I  had  caught  the  other,  and  his  comrade  took 
to  his  heels  and  was  soon  out  of  sight 


FIGHTS  WITH  WOLVES  209 

"  The  one  I  held  by  the  heels,  I  swung  twice 
around  my  head  and  then  let  him  fly.  The  cen- 
trifugal force,  as  they  used  to  call  it  at  college, 
forced  out  his  wind,  and  his  scream,  as  he  shot 
through  the  air,  was  diabolical.  He  went  fully 
a  rod  into  the  water,  and  his  howl  only  stopped 
when  he  struck  it.  I  was  weak  and  faint  now 
from  the  tremendous  exertion.  The  beast  came 
up  again,  and  struck  out  for  the  shore.  When 
he  reached  it,  he  did  not  dare  to  approach  me, 
but  stood  there  as  if  petrified. 

"At  last  he  began  to  move  off.  I  followed 
him  slowly,  and  saw  that  he  was  getting  tired. 
Presently  he  stopped  again  and  tried  to  climb  on 
the  top  of  a  shelving  rock,  but  he  was  very 
weak,  and  just  as  he  was  making  the  attempt  a 
second  time,  I  raised  my  rifle  and  sent  a  bullet 
into  his  heart. 

"  I  was  now  rid  of  all  my  foes,  but  too  weak  to 
walk  much  further,  so  I  went  back  to  my  cabin 
and  gave  up  my  proposed  visit  until  I  was  recov- 
ered from  my  wounds." 

"Well,"  said  Joe,  "that  beats  my  fight  with 
the  panther.  We  sha'n't  have  any  such  trouble 
on  the  day  after  to-morrow,  though,  for  we  shall 


2IO  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

have  a  big  enough  party  to  fight  a  whole  moun- 
tain full  of  them." 

It  was  long  after  ten  o'clock  when  Mr.  Tucker 
had  finished  the  thrilling  story  of  his  fight,  and 
then  the  family  all  retired  —  some  of  them  to 
dream  of  wolves,  bears,  and  panthers  perhaps. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

JOE,  ROB,  AND  THE   OLD   TRAPPER  —  GENERAL   CUSTER  ARRIVES   AT 

THE  RENDEZVOUS THE  WOLF   DENS  —  FIRST  TUSSLE   BETWEEN 

THE  HOUNDS  AND  A  WOLF —  CINCH'S   GREAT  BATTLE 

THE  morning  of  the  wolf  hunt  came  at  last. 
Before  six  o'clock,  Mr.  Tucker,  four  near  neigh- 
bors, and  the  two  Thompson  boys  rode  out  from 
Errolstrath  toward  the  appointed  rendezvous,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Oxhide. 

As  all  dogs  work  better  on  an  empty  stomach, 
the  hounds,  Brutus  and  Bluey,  had  not  been  fed 
that  morning,  so  that  their  appetites  for  the  chase 
should  be  keen. 

The  little  party  from  the  ranche  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Oxhide  before  the  contingent  from 
Fort  Marker.  They  did  not  have  to  wait  many 
minutes,  for  they  soon  saw  a  cloud  of  dust  on  the 
Smoky  Hill  trail,  and  presently  the  General's 
four  great  hounds  came  bounding  along.  Closely 
following  them  was  Custer  on  a  magnificent 
animal.  Colonel  Keogh  rode  his  favorite  horse, 

211 


212         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Comanche,  which  had  been  wounded  in  the 
battle  with  the  Cheyennes,  on  Mulberry  Creek, 
when  the  command  had  a  doubtful  victory  under 
General  Sully.  Comanche  was  destined  to  be- 
come more  celebrated  a  few  years  later,  when  he 
and  a  single  Crow  Indian  were  the  sole  survivors 
of  the  unequal  fight  with  the  Sioux  under  the 
notorious  Sitting  Bull.  It  was  there  that  Custer 
and  all  of  the  famous  troopers  with  him  went 
down  to  annihilation,  in  the  valley  of  the  Rose- 
bud. 

The  General  and  Colonel  Keogh  greeted  the 
party,  and  they  rode  on  at  a  slow  pace.  They 
wanted  to  save  the  wind  of  both  the  horses  and 
dogs,  for  the  supreme  moment  when  the  wolves 
should  give  them  all  the  excitement  they  might 
desire. 

About  seven  miles  from  Errolstrath,  the 
Smoky  Hill  makes  a  grand  sweep  to  the  south- 
east, the  curve  forming  nearly  half  a  circle.  Bor- 
dering the  river  at  that  point  is  a  series  of  im- 
mense limestone  bluffs  whose  scarped  sides  come 
down  to  the  water.  The  plateau  which  crowns 
the  bluffs  is  honeycombed  with  holes,  the  dens 
of  the  big  prairie  wolf.  They  intended  literally 


THE  WOLF  HUNT  213 

to  beard  the  ferocious  beasts  there,  for  the  wolf 
prowls  by  night  and  remains  in  his  lair  in  the 
daytime.  The  General,  the  Colonel,  the  old 
trapper,  and  the  boys  were  in  front,  while  the 
hounds  trailed  after  the  horses,  and  were  not 
allowed  to  advance  until  the  word  was  given  for 
them  to  do  so. 

Custer's  dogs  were  of  rare  breed,  and  had  been 
presented  to  him  by  some  English  or  Scotch 
nobleman.  They  were  rough  in  coat,  muscular, 
fleet  of  foot,  and  fully  able  to  cope  with  the 
biggest  wolf  that  dared  tackle  them. 

The  zigzag  trail  leading  to  the  summit  of  the 
high  bluff  where  the  business  was  expected  to 
begin,  was  reached  about  half-past  seven,  and  the 
tedious  ascent  was  commenced.  Arriving  on  the 
top  at  a  point  where  a  heavy  belt  of  timber 
skirted  the  edge  toward  the  river,  they  all  halted 
to  rest  a  few  moments  before  they  went  out  into 
the  open  where  the  wolves  were. 

An  occasional  low  growl  and  a  snarl  were 
wafted  by  the  breeze  toward  them,  where  they  were 
concealed  among  the  great  trees.  The  hounds 
listened  with  ears  cocked  up,  and  uttered  a  whine 
now  and  then,  as  they  gazed  wistfully  into  their 


214  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

masters'  faces.  They  were  impatient  for  the 
fray  like  the  charger  who  "  smelleth  the  battle 
afar,"  but  the  time  had  not  yet  come  for  them  to 
do  their  work. 

The  morning  was  deliciously  cool.  The 
ground  was  just  covered  with  a  slight  coating  of 
frost,  making  friction  enough  to  insure  safety  for 
the  horses.  They  would  be  called  upon  to  do 
some  hard  running,  and  the  rough  plain  where 
the  wolves  were,  was  sandy  and  treacherous,  from 
the  constant  digging  and  scratching  of  the  quar- 
relsome beasts  themselves. 

"  A  perfect  day  for  the  fun,"  said  the  General, 
turning  to  the  old  trapper,  who  had  dismounted 
and  was  cinching  his  saddle  a  little  tighter. 

"  Yes,  General,"  replied  he, "  we  could  not  have 
a  better  morning.  The  wind  is  just  right  for  the 
dogs'  noses,  though  I  suppose  those  beautiful 
hounds  of  yours  run  both  by  scent  and  sight  ?  " 

"  They  are  fine  specimens  of  their  species,  not 
very  graceful  or  beautiful,  perhaps,  but  for  muscle 
and  endurance,  I  don't  believe  that  there  is  a 
wolf  on  the  plains  which  can  get  the  better  of 
one  of  them  in  a  fair  fight.  They  have  had 
several  tussles  single-handed,  but  so  far  have 


THE  WOLF   HUNT  215 

come  out  without  anything  more  serious  than 
a  few  scratches.  Their  jaws  are  as  powerful 
as  a  bull  dog's,  and  they  hold  on  with  all  that 
animal's  tenacity.  I  look  for  some  fine  sport 
to-day ;  there  will  be  some  lively  coursing  if  we 
succeed  in  getting  the  wolves  out  of  their  holes." 

"  Bluey,"  said  Joe,  who  was  sitting  on  his  pony 
alongside  of  Custer,  "  is  a  great  fighter ;  he  has 
had  three  or  four  tussles  with  wolves,  and  came 
out  on  top  every  time.  He  has  the  most  wonder- 
ful shaking  powers  I  ever  saw  in  any  dog,  and 
he  has  whipped  two  or  three  bull  dogs  in  the 
neighborhood.  They  all  give  him  a  wide  berth 
now,  whenever  they  see  him  coming.  Brutus 
is  quite  a  young  hound  yet,  and  although  he  is 
good  with  rabbits,  and  did  some  splendid  work 
when  we  had  that  fight  with  the  lynx,  he  has 
never  really  shown  what  he  can  do.  I  guess 
he'll  have  a  chance  to  show  his  mettle  to-day." 

"  I  advise  all  of  you  to  cinch  up  your  saddles," 
suggested  the  General,  "as  Mr.  Tucker  has 
already  done,  for  you  don't  want  to  be  tumbled 
off  by  a  loose  cinch.  We'll  make  a  break  for  the 
wolves  in  a  few  minutes ;  the  hounds  are  uneasy, 
and  I  guess  our  horses  are  sufficiently  rested  now.'1 


2l6        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

When  the  last  saddle  was  cinched  up,  Custer 
gave  the  word  "forward,"  and  the  party  moved 
out  of  the  timber.  The  hounds  cavorted  around 
when  they  saw  signs  of  active  work,  but  they 
were  restrained  from  rushing  too  far  ahead  by 
a  word  from  their  masters. 

The  hunters  rode  slowly  at  first,  until  they  had 
emerged  from  the  timber.  They  then  broke  into 
a  lope,  separating  to  a  distance  of  about  fifty 
yards  from  each  other.  Custer  was  on  the  right, 
followed  by  the  old  trapper  and  Joe;  while  Rob 
and  Colonel  Keogh  with  the  others  of  the  party 
brought  up  the  left. 

Although  they  were  out  of  the  standing  tim- 
ber, there  were  a  great  many  fallen  trees  scattered 
over  the  ground,  and  they  were  obliged  to  jump 
over  these,  as  they  could  not  afford  to  waste  the 
time  to  go  round. 

There  was  one  immense  black  walnut  trunk 
over  which  all  had  gone  very  easily  excepting 
Colonel  Keogh  and  Rob.  When  these  two 
reached  the  obstacle,  Rob's  buffalo  pony  took 
it  flying,  but  as  Comanche  rose  to  make  the  leap, 
the  effort  burst  the  cinch  of  the  saddle,  and  the 
Colonel  was  thrown.  He  fortunately  struck  on 


THE   WOLF   HUNT  217 

his  feet  and  held  on  to  the  bridle  reins,  so  the 
animal  did  not  get  away.  His  orderly  rushed 
up,  and  it  did  not  take  more  than  five  minutes 
to  change  saddles,  and  give  the  Colonel  a  mount 
again. 

By  that  time  Custer  and  the  others  were  far  in 
advance,  for  they  had  increased  their  pace  as  the 
hounds  sighted  their  quarry.  Some  were  in  full 
cry,  the  rest  silent,  according  to  the  habits  of 
their  species.  A  huge  wolf  had  come  out  of 
his  hole  to  learn  what  the  thud  of  the  horses' 
hoofs  meant,  had  seen  the  dogs,  and  immediately 
bristled  up  ready  for  battle. 

The  lean  and  hungry-looking  brute  stood 
motionless,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  pack  of 
hounds.  The  hair  along  his  spine  stood  erect 
like  a  mad  cat's,  and  his  tail  swelled  to  twice  its 
normal  proportions.  They  were  heading  for 
him  with  tongues  out  and  their  long  necks 
stretched,  ready  for  the  impending  battle. 

In  another  instant,  when  the  shock  came,  there 
was  a  chaotic  whirlwind  of  wolf,  dog,  hair,  and 
blood,  accompanied  by  snarls,  growls,  and  squeals. 
This  cyclone  of  enraged  canines  was  enveloped 
in  a  cloud  of  dust  which  fairly  obscured  the  com- 


2l8  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

batants  for  a  few  seconds;  but  when  it  settled 
there  was  a  dead  wolf,  literally  torn  to  shreds, 
and  a  hound  or  two  limping  along,  nearly  hors 
de  combat,  after  the  terrible  struggle. 

The  noise  of  the  fight  caused  a  dozen  or  more 
of  the  denizens  of  the  bluff  to  crawl  out  of  their 
dens  and  look  around  to  learn  what  was  meant 
by  this  invasion  of  their  sacred  precincts. 

Some  just  poked  their  heads  up,  and  all  you 
could  see  were  their  great  ears.  Others  came 
up  bristling  with  fight,  and  some,  the  cowardly 
ones,  giving  one  look  at  the  party  of  horsemen 
and  the  pack  of  hounds,  tucked  their  bushy  tails 
between  their  legs,  and  scooted  off  over  the 
plateau,  yelping  like  whipped  curs ! 

In  a  moment,  spying  those  wolves  that  had 
apparently  accepted  the  wager  of  battle,  the  dogs 
made  a  grand  rush  for  them,  some  in  pairs,  some 
singly. 

General  Sheridan  owned  a  magnificent  smooth- 
haired  hound,  named  Cinch,  from  the  fact  that 
round  his  belly  was  a  dark  circle,  resembling 
a  saddle-cinch.  He  was  a  very  powerful  animal, 
and  had  been  brought  with  the  pack  by  General 
Custer,  on  account  of  his  well-known  staying 


THE  WOLF   HUNT  2IQ 

qualities.  Cinch  had  selected  a  monstrous  beast, 
a  little  larger  than  himself,  as  his  victim,  and 
forthwith  attacked  him  singly. 

The  wolf  stood  firmly  at  the  mouth  of  his  den, 
awaiting  the  approach  of  Cinch  with  a  sort  of 
self-satisfied  look,  as  though  he  would  tear  to 
pieces  that  civilized  specimen  of  his  own  genus. 
With  a  growl  and  a  snapping  of  their  great 
white  teeth  they  came  together.  How  the  hair 
did  fly  as  they  bit  whole  mouthfuls  out  of  each 
other!  It  was  an  awful  struggle  for  canine  su- 
premacy. Every  one  of  the  party  abandoned 
his  quarry  elsewhere  —  although  Bluey  was 
making  a  glorious  fight  with  another  monster 
not  a  hundred  yards  away,  and  the  rest  of  the 
pack  were  hard  at  work  on  a  number  that  had 
attacked  them  in  concert  —  to  witness  the  battle 
royal  between  Cinch  and  the  largest  wolf  that 
they  had  ever  seen. 

At  last  Cinch  succeeded  in  getting  a  firm 
hold  on  his  shaggy  antagonist's  throat.  It 
proved  to  be  a  "  knock-out,"  for  when  Cinch 
had  done  with  him,  the  wolf  was  stretched  out 
dead.  The  hound  himself  did  not  escape  with- 
out serious  wounds.  His  fore  paws  were  bitten 


22O  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

through  and  through.  One  of  his  eyes  was 
badly  torn,  and  great  pieces  of  hide  hung  in 
strings  from  several  parts  of  his  body.  He  was 
nearly  done  for,  so  badly  hurt,  that  the  Gen- 
eral told  one  of  his  orderlies  to  take  the  poor 
dog  on  the  saddle  in  front  of  him,  and  carry 
him  back  to  the  fort  for  repairs. 

They  then  turned  their  attention  to  Bluey. 
By  the  time  they  came  up  to  him  he  had  just 
finished  his  antagonist  as  completely  as  had 
Cinch.  The  wolf  was  dead,  and  the  old  hound 
was  busy  licking  his  own  wounds,  of  which  he 
had  many. 

The  rest  of  the  pack  which  had  been  fight- 
ing together  had  killed  four,  but  two  of  their 
number  had  succumbed  to  the  fierce  attacks 
of  their  opponents,  and  were  dead.  Joe  and 
Rob  were  delighted  to  know  that  Bluey  and 
Brutus  were  all  right  after  the  several  battles, 
excepting  a  few  bites  which  would  soon  heal. 

In  taking  an  inventory  of  the  number  of 
wolves  killed  by  the  hounds,  they  found  seven 
in  all.  Their  hides  were  so  badly  torn  that 
they  were  not  worth  skinning,  so  their  car- 
casses were  left  just  where  they  fell. 


THE  WOLF  HUNT  221 

It  was  considered  a  good  morning's  work, 
as  it  was  but  eleven  o'clock  when  Cinch  had 
put  the  finishing  touches  on  his  victim.  The 
men  were  tired  after  their  rough  ride,  and 
the  hounds  slowly  followed,  tongues  out,  and 
many  of  them  limping  fearfully.  In  this  way 
they  rode  together  back  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Oxhide,  then  separated  and  went  to  their 
respective  homes. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

A  WILD   TURKEY  HUNT THE  TRIP  TO   MUD  CREEK  —  THE  TURKEY 

ROOST  —  THE     SHOOTING     BEGINS  —  COUNTING     THE     NUMBER 
KILLED  —  JOE   SELLS  TURKEYS 

WHEN  Mr.  Tucker,  Joe,  and  Rob  arrived  at 
Errolstrath,  it  was  just  one  o'clock.  The  fam- 
ily had  kept  dinner  waiting,  and  everything 
was  ready  to  put  on  the  table  by  the  time  the 
horses  were  fed  and  the  hounds'  wounds  rubbed 
with  witch-hazel.  Mrs.  Thompson  used  to  pre- 
pare this  remedy  herself,  and  she  considered  it 
the  best  thing  in  the  world  for  injuries. 

At  dinner  the  boys  and  the  old  trapper  en- 
tertained the  family  with  an  account  of  the 
morning's  hunt,  telling  them  how  splendidly 
both  Bluey  and  Brutus  had  behaved  in  com- 
pany with  such  thoroughbreds  as  Custer's 
hounds,  and  especially  with  General  Sheridan's 
famous  Cinch,  who  was  supposed  to  be  the 
finest  animal  of  his  kind  in  the  country. 

They  all  adjourned  to  the  broad  veranda  after 


A  WILD  TURKEY   HUNT  223 

dinner  was  over,  excepting  the  girls  who  had  to 
clear  up  the  things.  Mr.  Tucker  said  that 
Colonel  Keogh  had  told  him  that  some  of  the 
officers'  families  who  had  just  come  from  the  East 
to  Fort  Marker  were  very  desirous  for  wild  tur- 
key, which  they  had  not  yet  tasted. 

"  He  wanted  me  to  ask  you,  Joe,  if  you  cannot 
soon  get  them  a  few.  I  know  that  this  is  the 
very  best  time  to  hunt  them,  so  let  you,  and 
Rob,  and  me  go  to  that  roost  on  Mud  Creek 
this  evening.  It's  full  moon  to-night,  and  we 
shall  never  have  a  better  chance." 

"  All  right,"  promptly  spoke  up  both  of  the 
boys.  "  We'll  have  to  take  our  ponies,"  said  Joe, 
"for  it's  fully  six  miles.  I  was  down  there  the 
other  afternoon,  and  I  should  think  that  hun- 
dreds roost  there." 

"  What  time  ought  we  to  leave  here  ?  "  inquired 
Rob.  "  You  know  that  my  month  to  herd  and 
milk  the  cows  is  not  out  yet,  and  I  want  to  do 
my  work  before  I  go ;  not  that  father  would  not 
do  it  willingly  for  me  in  a  case  of  this  kind,  but  I 
don't  care  to  bother  him;  he  has  enough  to  do 
with  the  other  stock." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Joe,  "  we  need  not  get  away  from 


J224  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

here  until  long  after  supper.  The  birds  won't 
come  to  their  roost  until  it  is  nearly  dark,  and  as 
we  always  have  supper  at  six,  and  can  ride  down 
to  Mud  Creek  easily  in  an  hour,  you  will  have 
ample  time  to  do  your  chores,  Rob,  without 
hurrying  a  bit." 

"  Tell  us  something  about  the  wild  turkey,  Mr. 
Tucker,"  said  Rob.  "You  know  all  the  habits 
of  our  beasts  and  birds." 

"  Well,  Rob,"  said  the  old  trapper,  "  the  wild 
turkey  is  one  of  the  indigenous  birds  of  America. 
He  once  flourished  from  the  most  remote  eastern 
boundary  of  the  United  States  to  every  part  of 
the  far  West.  Now,  through  the  wantonness  of 
man,  he  is  rapidly  disappearing,  as  is  nearly  all 
of  our  large  game.  There  are  still  plenty  here 
in  Kansas.  The  wild  turkey  makes  his  haunts 
in  the  timber,  and  being  gregarious  birds  they 
keep  together  in  large  flocks,  and  roost  in  the 
same  place  for  years,  if  not  disturbed.  All  of  our 
domestic  turkeys  have  come  from  the  wild  stock, 
but  the  wild  ones  are  still  larger  than  the  tame 
ones  in  many  instances.  I  have  shot  them  in 
nearly  every  place  in  the  country  where  I  have 
hunted.  They  are  stupid  in  refusing  to  leave 


A  WILD  TURKEY   HUNT  22$ 

their  roosts  at  night  when  shot  at.  They  per- 
sistently fly  back  again  to  the  same  trees,  when 
they  could  just  as  easily  fly  away  out  of  danger. 
In  such  times  they  are  almost  as  foolish  as  the 
sage  hen,  which  in  my  opinion  is  the  most  stupid 
bird  that  flies.  You  can  shoot  at  them  until  you 
hit  them,  if  it  takes  a  week ;  they  won't  move." 

Just  as  the  sun  sank  behind  the  hills  beyond 
the  Oxhide  bluffs,  Joe,  Rob,  and  Mr.  Tucker 
left  Errolstrath  for  the  turkey  roost  on  Mud 
Creek.  The  old  trapper  rode  Joe's  buffalo  pony, 
while  Joe  mounted  the  little  roan  which  had 
brought  his  sister  so  safely  from  the  Indian  vil- 
lage; Rob  rode  Ginger,  which  Kate  had  kindly 
loaned  him  for  the  occasion. 

They  followed  the  trail  up  the  creek  for  about 
a  mile,  then  turned  abruptly  east  over  the  hills 
toward  Fort  Sill  military  road,  then  over  the 
open  country  for  another  mile,  until  they  arrived 
at  the  head  of  Mud  Creek. 

The  moon  had  risen  in  a  cloudless  sky,  and 
it  shines  nowhere  so  brilliantly  as  in  our  mid- 
continent  region.  Every  tree  and  bush  cast  a 
shadow,  and  the  trail  over  the  prairie  was  lighted 
up  with  a  golden  sheen,  so  soft  and  mellow  that 
Q 


226  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

you  could  have  seen  a  pin  where  the  grass  had 
been  shorn  away. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  woods 
in  the  centre  of  which  was  the  resting-place  of 
the  birds,  they  tied  their  ponies  to  saplings,  and 
then  quietly  walked  on  into  the  timber.  As  soon 
as  they  had  come  in  the  vicinity  of  the  roost, 
they  squatted  on  the  ground  behind  the  friendly 
shelter  of  a  large  elm,  and  waited  for  the  coming 
of  events. 

They  did  not  have  long  to  wait.  Before  they 
had  been  there  a  half  an  hour,  two  large  flocks 
came  stealthily  walking  down  the  deep  ravines 
leading  into  the  sheltered  bottom  where  great 
trees  stood  in  thick  clumps,  under  whose  shadow 
were  the  unmistakable  signs  of  an  immense  roost. 
At  the  head  of  each  flock,  as  it  unsuspiciously 
advanced,  strutted  a  magnificent  male  bird  in  all 
the  pride  of  his  leadership.  Upon  his  bronze 
plumage  the  moon's  rays  glinted  like  a  calcium 
light,  as  its  soft  beams  sifted  through  the  inter- 
stices of  the  bare  limbs  of  the  winter-garbed 
forest. 

When  the  leader  of  the  flock  had  arrived  at 
the  spot  where  his  charge  had  been  accustomed 


A  WILD  TURKEY   HUNT  22^ 

to  roost,  he  suddenly  stopped,  glanced  cautiously 
around  him  for  a  few  seconds,  then  apparently 
satisfied  that  all  was  right,  he  gave  the  signal  — 
a  sharp,  quick,  shrill  whistle.  At  that  instant, 
every  bird,  with  one  accord  and  a  tremendous 
fluttering  of  wing,  raised  itself  and  alighted  in 
the  topmost  branches  of  the  tallest  trees. 

In  a  few  moments  more,  numerous  flocks  hav- 
ing settled  themselves  for  a  peaceful  slumber, 
the  old  trapper  said  to  the  boys :  "  Now  is  our 
time;  let's  begin!" 

Joe  had  his  little  Ballard  rifle,  that  had  never 
yet  played  him  false  on  his  hunts  with  the  chief 
of  the  Pawnees;  Rob  had  a  shot-gun,  and  Mr. 
Tucker  his  never-failing  old-fashioned  piece 
which  he  had  carried  for  twenty-five  years. 

They  fired  at  first  almost  simultaneously,  but 
after  the  first  discharge  each  fired  on  his  own 
hook.  The  turkeys  fell  like  the  leaves  in  Octo- 
ber. The  birds  not  killed  at  the  first  fire  did  not 
seem  to  have  sense  enough,  as  Mr.  Tucker  had 
said,  to  escape  from  their  doom.  They  flew  from 
tree  to  tree  at  every  shot,  persistently  remaining 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  roost,  with  all 
the  characteristic  idiocy  of  the  sage  hen. 


228        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

When  it  was  time  to  think  of  going  home, 
they  gathered  up  their  birds,  and  found  they  had 
killed  fourteen  —  more  than  an  average  of  four 
apiece.  It  was  all  they  could  do  to  pack  the 
birds  on  their  ponies,  and  they  were  compelled 
to  walk  them  all  the  way  to  the  ranche  to  keep 
the  birds  from  falling  off. 

The  next  morning  Joe  took  the  turkeys  to  Fort 
Harker,  where  he  disposed  of  them  at  a  fair  price, 
and  received  many  thanks  besides,  for  his  prompt 
action  in  response  to  Colonel  Keogh's  request 
to  go  hunting  for  them. 


CHAPTER  XV 

HOW  THE  ROBIN   CAME  TO   KANSAS MOCKING-BIRDS  —  EATEN   BY 

SNAKES  —  JOE  LOSES  HIS  TAME  ELK  —  THE  LAST  OF  THE 
WOLVES  —  FINDING  THE  QUAIL'S  NEST  —  JOE  BUILDS  A  CAGE 
FOR  THEM  —  RAISING  CHICKENS 

THE  winter  was  short,  and  soon  came  April, 
with  its  sunny  skies.  The  robins,  wrens,  blue- 
jays,  and  the  mocking-birds  made  the  woods  me- 
lodious with  their  sweet  notes.  The  violets  by 
the  brook  side  under  the  shade  of  the  great  trees 
were  the  first  harbingers  of  the  beautiful  season, 
and  the  dining-table  was  made  odorous  with  their 
blue  blossoms  at  every  meal.  Both  Kate  and 
Gertrude  loved  flowers,  and  never  failed  to  gather 
three  times  a  day,  a  large  bowl  full  of  these 
poems  of  springtime. 

Mr.  Tucker  surprised  them  one  evening  by 
paying  them  a  visit  after  a  solitary  hunting  expe- 
dition up  the  creek.  The  boys  soon  persuaded 
him  to  stay  the  night,  and  tell  them  a  story  until 

bedtime. 

229 


230         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

"  What  shall  it  be,  hunting  or  fighting  ? "  said 
Mr.  Tucker,  turning  to  Joe. 

Before  her  brother  could  speak,  Gertrude 
answered  for  him.  "Tell  us  that  legend  about 
the  robin,  that  you  have  promised  us  so  often." 

"  Yes,  the  robin,"  said  Joe.  So  they  all  settled 
into  comfortable  positions,  and  Mr.  Tucker  told 
them  the  following  story :  — 

"  The  Delaware  Indians  claim  that  the  robin 
followed  them  to  Kansas.  He  has  been  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state  only  since  the  establish- 
ment of  their  reservation  within  its  limits,  accord- 
ing to  the  legend  of  the  tribe. 

"  The  Delawares,  you  know,  were  those  Indians 
with  whom  William  Penn  made  a  treaty,  the 
provisions  of  which  were  religiously  kept  for 
many  years. 

"  Among  the  Delawares  the  robin  is  sacred. 
From  the  gray-headed  chiefs  to  the  papoose  just 
freed  from  the  thongs  of  his  hard  cradle,  they  all 
listen  with  superstitious  love  and  reverence  to 
his  warbling.  The  bird  was  once  the  favorite 
son  of  a  great  sachem  of  that  powerful  tribe, 
changed  by  the  Manitou,  but  still  loving  man,  and 
evincing  it  always  by  building  his  nest  and  sing- 
ing near  his  abode. 


THE  STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  231 

*  Once  there  was,  ages  ago,  a  great  chief  among 
the  Delawares,  who  then  lived  in  the  far  East. 
He  was  distinguished  for  his  wisdom  in  the  coun- 
cil, and  his  success  in  war.  He  had  many  wives, 
but  they  brought  him  daughters  only,  and  he,  as 
well  as  his  nation,  was  dissatisfied,  for  he  desired 
a  son  who  should  succeed  to  the  honorable  posi- 
tion of  his  father. 

"  One  day  when  the  chief  was  walking  through 
the  village,  a  dove  lit  on  his  shoulder,  and  then 
flew  and  nestled  in  the  bosom  of  a  young  Indian 
maiden  to  whom  it  belonged.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  the  medicine-man  of  the  tribe,  and 
her  father  declared  that  the  dove  was  a  messen- 
ger from  the  Great  Spirit,  who  had  thus  shown 
by  that  sign  that  the  two  should  be  one. 

"  The  news  imparted  by  the  medicine-man  was 
agreeable  to  the  chief,  for  the  girl  was  beautiful 
and  virtuous.  He  married  her,  and  she  became 
the  favorite  wife,  who,  in  due  time,  greatly  to  his 
and  the  joy  of  his  people,  presented  him  with  a 
son.  The  boy  was  called  Is-a-dill-a,  and  he  grew 
up  different  from  all  the  youth  of  his  age ;  for  he 
was  fond  of  peace,  would  not  mingle  with  the 
crowd  who  tortured  prisoners  doomed  to  death, 


232  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

and  his  father  thought  him  a  coward.  One  day 
the  father  upbraided  his  son  for  his  peaceful  in- 
clinations, and  Is-a-dill-a  answered  :  — 

"  *  Great  chief  of  the  mighty  Delawares,  my 
liver  is  not  white,  nor  would  my  blood  chill  like 
snow  before  the  enemy,  but  Is-a-dill-a  prefers  to 
gather  the  wild  blossoms  which  grow  upon  the 
prairie,  and  chase  the  deer  among  the  cliffs,  to 
lying  in  ambush  for  the  red  man,  and  sending  an 
arrow  into  his  heart;  the  Great  Spirit,  who  is 
father  of  all  the  red  men,  has  told  me  in  my 
dreams  to  love  them  all.' 

"  His  father  was  about  to  respond  angrily  to 
the  utterance  of  a  homily  so  unbecoming  a  great 
warrior's  son,  and  the  future  chief  of  a  powerful 
tribe,  when  he  saw  a  huge  black  bear  approach- 
ing him  with  angry  demonstrations.  The  chief 
was  armed,  as  usual,  with  bow  and  arrows,  and  a 
stone  axe.  Is-a-dill-a,  without  any  weapons,  was 
ordered  by  his  father  to  climb  a  tree,  that  he 
might  escape  the  danger  of  the  impending  con- 
flict The  chief,  then  resting  upon  one  knee,  and 
fixing  a  selected  arrow  to  his  bow,  aimed  at  the 
eye  of  the  bear,  when  only  a  few  feet  distant. 
The  oscillating  motion  of  the  beast's  head  pre- 


THE  STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  233 

vented  it  from  taking  fatal  effect,  and  the  arrow 
struck  the  skull,  which  was  too  thick  and  hard  to 
be  penetrated.  The  now  infuriated  animal,  with 
a  savage  growl,  sprang  upon  the  chief  who  dealt 
it  a  fearful  blow  with  his  stone  axe,  but  was 
seized  in  the  ponderous  paws  of  the  bear,  and  a 
mortal  struggle  ensued.  In  a  moment  the  chief 
was  bleeding  from  a  hundred  wounds,  and  the 
animal's  mouth  was  already  at  his  throat,  when 
Is-a-dill-a  picked  up  his  father's  axe,  dealt  the 
beast  a  powerful  blow  over  the  eye,  which  com- 
pletely destroyed  it,  and  continued  the  work  until 
the  exhausted  animal  fell  to  the  earth.  But  in 
his  death  agonies  the  bear  succeeded  in  embra- 
cing Is-a-dill-a  and  tearing  him  dreadfully,  so  that 
he  lay  insensible  by  the  side  of  the  dead  brute. 

"The  chief  was  the  first  to  recover  from  the 
swoon  in  which  he  had  fallen  from  loss  of  blood, 
and  as  he  saw  the  body  of  his  son  lying  beside 
that  of  the  immense  bear,  it  was  some  time  be- 
fore he  could  connect  the  circumstances,  for  it 
appeared  impossible  for  a  boy  of  his  age  to  per- 
form such  an  exploit.  He  was  bitterly  grieved, 
when  he  thought  how  pure  was  the  filial  affection 
of  his  son,  and  bitterly  regretted  the  reproaches 


234  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

he  had  often  heaped  upon  him  who  was  so 
worthy  of  honor  and  affection.  He  crawled  to 
his  son's  body,  —  for  he  believed  him  dead, — 
but  feeling  that  the  heart  was  still  beating,  with 
much  effort  and  great  pain  he  succeeded  in  get- 
ting some  water  from  a  little  spring  near  by,  and 
applied  it  to  the  forehead  and  lips  of  the  insensi- 
ble Is-a-dill-a ;  in  a  few  moments  he  gave  a  deep 
sigh,  looked  at  his  father  with  a  glow  of  recogni- 
tion, then  again  became  unconscious. 

"  Fortunately  at  this  moment,  three  squaws 
who  had  been  gathering  berries,  approached,  and 
seeing  the  condition  of  the  chief  and  his  son, 
hastened  to  the  village  for  assistance.  By  care- 
ful nursing,  both  recovered,  and  the  boy  became 
the  object  of  admiration  and  reverence ;  for  since 
his  exploit  with  the  bear,  none  dare  dispute  his 
courage,  which  is  the  greatest  virtue  among  the 
Indians. 

"As  I  have  already  told  you,  it  is  necessary 
for  all  promising  youths  to  retire  into  some 
solitary  place,  and  submit  to  a  long  fast,  that 
they  may  propitiate  the  Great  Spirit.  In  a 
few  years,  Is-a-dill-a  expressed  his  desire  to  at- 
tempt the  ordeal.  The  chief  made  everything  in 


THE  STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  235 

readiness,  and  soon  Is-a-dill-a  was  alone  in  his 
little  lodge  in  the  wilderness,  upon  his  bed  of 
skin.  He  looked  up  with  great  confidence  to  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  felt  that  the  light  of  his  coun- 
tenance would  rest  upon  him.  Every  morning 
his  father  visited  him,  and  encouraged  him  to 
persevere,  by  appealing  to  his  pride,  his  ambition, 
and  his  noble  instincts.  The  ninth  day  came 
and  passed,  and  also  the  tenth ;  on  the  morning 
of  the  eleventh  Is-a-dill-a  was  dying  with  weak- 
ness, and  his  full,  rounded  muscles  had  shrunk 
and  withered  from  the  prostrating  effects  of  the 
terrible  ordeal. 

"  '  Father/  said  the  almost  expiring  youth,  '  I 
have  fasted  eleven  days,  a  longer  time  than  man 
ever  fasted  before;  the  Great  Spirit  is  satisfied; 
give  me  something  to  eat  that  I  may  not  die/ 

"  *  To-morrow,  my  son,  before  the  bright  sun 
rises,  I  will  bring  you  venison  cooked  by  your 
mother;    fast   until   then   that   your   name  may 
become  mighty  among  the  great  chiefs  of  th|| 
Delawares.' 

"  The  old  man  departed,  proud  of  the  fame  his 
son  would  acquire ;  and  the  next  morning,  before 
the  sun  had  risen,  he  was  at  the  lodge  of  Is-a- 


236        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

dill-a,  with  a  supply  of  the  most  tempting  food , 
but  he  stood  motionless  before  a  strange  sight 
within  the  lodge.  There  was  a  youth  with 
golden  wings  and  most  beautiful  features,  hav- 
ing a  halo  of  light  around  his  head,  painting  the 
breast  of  Is-a-dill-a  with  vermilion,  and  his  body 
brown.  Then,  in  a  moment,  the  winged  youth 
was  changed  to  a  dove,  and  Is-a-dill-a  to  a  strange 
and  beautiful  bird,  and  they  both  flew  through 
the  door  of  the  lodge  to  a  tree,  and  the  strange 
bird  thus  addressed  the  chief  of  the  Delawares : 

" '  Father,  farewell.  The  Great  Spirit,  when  he 
saw  that  I  was  dying  from  hunger,  sent  a  mes- 
senger for  me,  and  I  am  changed  to  this  bird.  I 
will  always  preserve  my  love  for  man,  and  will 
build  and  carol  near  his  dwelling.' 

"The  two  birds  then  flew  away,  but  every 
morning  the  robin,  during  the  lifetime  of  the 
chief,  sang  from  the  large  oak  tree  that  over- 
shadowed his  lodge. 

"  When  the  Delawares  moved  west  of  the 
Missouri,  the  faithful  descendants  of  the  strange 
bird  followed  them,  and  that  is  how  the  robins 
came  to  Kansas." 

The  mocking-bird,  that  sweetest  of  our  feath- 


THE  STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  237 

ered  songsters,  is  indigenous  to  the  central 
region  of  the  great  plains,  and  his  notes  are 
heard  when  the  day  breaks.  He  seeks  the  high- 
est points  upon  the  dwellings,  the  ridge  of  the 
house,  the  barn,  or  the  top  of  the  windmill,  if 
there  be  one,  where,  like  the  Aztecs  of  old,  or 
their  lineal  descendants,  the  Pueblo  Indians  of 
New  Mexico  to-day,  he  greets  the  coming  god 
in  the  east. 

Like  the  robin,  the  mocking-bird  loves  the 
companionship  of  man.  He  builds  his  nest  near 
their  dwellings,  in  the  garden,  the  orchard,  or 
the  trees  close  by.  Kate  and  Gertrude  had 
made  several  attempts  to  get  hold  of  some  little 
ones  in  their  nests,  but  there  was  always  some- 
thing that  seemed  to  thwart  their  plans.  Last 
year  they  found  a  nest  in  a  grapevine  in  the 
garden,  and  they  watched  it  zealously  day  by 
day,  from  the  laying  of  the  last  twig  by  the 
parent  birds,  to  the  hatching  of  the  two  white 
eggs.  They  saw  the  fledglings  develop  from 
week  to  week,  until  they  were  nearly  large 
enough  to  be  taken  from  the  nest,  when  one 
morning,  on  going  as  usual  to  watch  the  prog- 
ress of  the  little  birds,  what  was  their  horror  to 


238  THE   RANCHE   ON   THE  OXHIDE 

see  a  snake  swallowing  the  last  one.  The  other 
they  knew,  by  the  swelled  body  of  the  reptile,  was 
hopelessly  gone !  Their  disgust  and  sorrow  may 
be  imagined,  and  as  it  was  too  late  in  the  season 
to  think  of  finding  another  nest  with  young  cues 
in  it,  they  were  forced  to  abandon  their  quest 
until  another  spring. 

This  April  they  were  successful.  A  pair  had 
built  their  nest  in  the  vine-covered  summer- 
house,  a  rustic  little  place  that  Mr.  Thompson 
had  erected  out  of  the  wild  grape,  for  a  retreat 
in  which  his  wife  and  daughters  might  sit  in  the 
afternoons  when  they  did  not  care  to  go  as  far  as 
the  deep  woods.  No  harm  came  to  the  fledg- 
lings this  time,  and  they  were  placed  in  a  hand- 
some cage  bought  by  the  girls  from  the  proceeds 
of  the  eggs  laid  by  their  own  brown  Leghorn 
hens. 

The  birds  soon  became  very  tame,  and  made 
the  house  resonant  all  day  long  with  their  bril- 
liant notes.  They  knew  the  girls  the  moment 
they  came  near  the  cage,  and  would  stretch  their 
wings  and  gently  pick  at  their  fingers  when  they 
put  them  between  the  wires.  They  were  a  con- 
stant source  of  pleasure,  for  the  girls  loved  pets 


THE  STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  239 

of  all  kinds,  and  taught  them  to  return  their 
affection  by  means  of  gentleness  and  constant 
kindness. 

Joe  lost  his  elk  this  spring,  and  he  was  greatly 
disturbed  by  it.  He  had  made  arrangements 
with  an  old  hunter,  living  near  Fort  Harker,  to 
go  out  to  the  Saline  Valley  and  capture  another 
young  one.  He  intended  to  break  them  both  to 
harness,  and  expected  to  have  a  unique  team  to 
drive.  The  elk  was  so  tame  that  he  permitted  it 
to  roam  at  will  through  the  woods  on  the  margin 
of  the  Oxhide,  where  it  browsed  on  the  small 
bushes  or  grazed  on  the  luxurious  grass  which 
grew  in  such  profusion  on  the  creek  bottom.  It 
always  returned  to  the  corral  at  night  for  its  feed 
of  corn,  but  one  evening  it  failed  to  come  up  as 
usual.  He  wandered  through  the  woods,  looking 
for  it,  when,  happening  to  come  upon  a  camp 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Oxhide  on  the  trail  west- 
ward, he  saw  to  his  indignation,  that  the  emi- 
grants, a  very  ignorant  set  from  Missouri,  had 
butchered  his  elk.  He  gave  them  a  talking-to 
that  was  more  emphatic  than  choice  in  its 
language.  They  told  him  they  thought  it  ms 
a  wild  one,  but  he  became  disgusted  at  their 


240  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

falsehood,  and  asked  them  if  wild  elks  had  blue 
ribbons  on  their  necks  as  his  had,  and  he  pulled 
it  from  the  hide  which  was  lying  near  their  wag- 
ons. The  girls  had  sewed  it  on  the  elk  for  him 
not  a  week  ago.  He  saw  that  the  party  was 
such  a  miserable  set  that  he  could  do  nothing 
with  them,  so  he  had  to  leave  the  place,  as  mad 
as  a  wet  hen,  and  abandon  his  idea  of  ever  hav- 
ing an  elk  team. 

It  was  a  relief  for  the  family  to  feel  that  they 
could  now  go  where  they  pleased  without  fear  of 
marauding  bands  of  Indians.  The  winter  cam- 
paign had  most  effectually  settled  their  propensi- 
ties for  murdering  and  scalping  the  settlers,  so 
both  the  girls  and  boys  made  trips  to  the  neigh- 
bors, and  went  on  fishing  excursions,  or  hunted 
whenever  they  cared  to.  Even  the  wolves, 
which  had  been  such  a  terror  to  the  whole 
neighborhood,  had  been  so  successfully  thinned 
out  in  several  "  surrounds  "  by  the  men  living  on 
the  various  creeks,  that  the  raspberry  patch  was 
no  longer  infested  by  them. 

Kate  and  her  sister  went  up  there  one  morn- 
ing, not  expecting,  of  course,  that  the  berries 
would  be  ripe  as  early  as  April.  As  neither  of 


THE  STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  241 

them  had  visited  the  place  since  Kate's  capture, 
and  everything  was  now  perfectly  safe,  they 
thought  they  would  like  to  go  there  again. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  well-remembered 
ledge  of  rocks,  Kate  pointed  out  to  Gertrude  the 
exact  spot  where  she  was  standing  when  the 
savages  swooped  down  on  her ;  and  they  climbed 
to  the  top  where  they  were  attacked  by  the 
wolf. 

They  found  the  vines  full  of  blossoms,  promis- 
ing a  beautiful  crop  in  June,  and  while  strolling 
along  the  bank  of  the  stream  they  suddenly  came 
upon  a  quail's  nest  in  which  twenty-five  eggs 
were  just  hatching  out.  As  the  quail  runs  the 
moment  it  breaks  from  the  shell,  the  girls  deter- 
mined to  take  the  little  ones  home  and  bring 
them  up  as  they  did  their  chickens.  The  old 
birds  made  a  terrible  fuss.  They  would  run  a 
short  distance  from  the  nest,  and  pretend  to 
be  very  lame;  apparently  being  hardly  able 
to  move.  They  thus  tried  to  induce  the  girls  to 
catch  them — a  ruse  adopted  by  many  other  birds 
when  their  young  ones  are  in  danger.  But  Kate 
and  Gertrude,  who  were  well  posted  in  the  tricks 
of  animals  and  birds,  paid  no  attention  to  the 


242  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE   OXHIDE 

antics  of  the  old  quails,  but  were  intent  on  catch- 
ing all  of  the  little  ones  they  could.  Even  then 
it  was  a  hard  job,  for  the  baby  quails  run  almost 
as  fast  as  the  parents,  and  hide  in  the  grass 
where  they  lie  quiet  until  all  danger  is  past. 
They  succeeded,  however,  in  getting  all  but  four 
of  them,  and  walked  hurriedly  back  to  Errolstrath 
with  the  tender  things  in  their  aprons. 

"  If  I  didn't  know  they  were  quails,"  said  Kate, 
"  I  should  think  that  they  were  young  brown 
Leghorn  chickens.  Did  you  ever  see  such  a 
resemblance,  Gert  ?  " 

"  They  do  look  exactly  like  the  brown  Leg- 
horns, and  do  you  know,  Kate,  that  when  I  first 
saw  a  brood  of  Leghorns,  I  thought  they  were 
young  quails." 

"  I  expect  we  shall  have  little  trouble  in  rais- 
ing them,  for  Jenny  Campbell  had  as  many  as 
a  dozen  of  them  in  her  cellar  all  last  summer. 
Her  brother  caught  them  as  we  did  these,  in 
the  spring,  just  as  they  were  coming  out  of 
their  shells.  They  will  eat  small  grain  like 
chickens." 

"Well,  we  won't  keep  them  in  our  cellar," 
said  Gertrude ;  *  well  get  Joe  or  Rob  to  build 


THE   STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  243 

us  a  big  cage  out  of  lath,  and  then  we  can 
make  them  as  tame  as  the  mocking-birds." 

"  Do  you  purpose  to  eat  them  ?  "  inquired  Kate. 

"Certainly;  why  not?  Mamma  and  papa  love 
them  broiled  on  toast,  and  so  do  I.  I  don't 
expect  to  make  such  pets  of  them  that  when 
the  time  comes  to  eat  them,  I  shall  think  so 
much  of  them  that  I  can't  do  it;  and  you  must 
not  either,  Kate." 

The  girls  arrived  safely  at  the  ranche  with 
their  charge,  and  Joe  being  begged  to  make  a 
cage,  set  about  it  at  once,  and  had  it  ready  in 
less  than  an  hour.  The  birds  were  put  in  it, 
and  it  was  set  on  the  veranda,  where  the  little 
things  could  get  plenty  of  air  and  sunlight. 
They  picked  up  millet  seed  as  readily  as  an 
old  chicken,  when  Gertrude  threw  in  a  handful 
to  them.  In  a  few  days  they  were  contented 
in  their  confinement  and  became  very  tame. 

Kate  and  her  sister  intended  to  raise  a  great 
many  chickens  this  spring,  and  they  set  as 
many  as  forty  hens;  for  their  eggs  and  young 
broilers  brought  a  good  price  at  the  fort  and 
in  the  village.  They  had  excellent  luck  at 
hatching  time,  but  as  the  little  ones  began  to 


244  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

grow,  when  the  girls  counted  them  every  morn- 
ing they  found  their  number  decreasing  day  by 
day.  They  could  not  divine  the  cause  at  first,  so 
Rob  was  set  to  watch,  and  discover,  if  he  could, 
what  caused  their  disappearance.  Some  hens 
that  had  fifteen  or  sixteen  would  come  around 
the  yard  next  morning  with  only  six  or  seven. 

They  had  three  cats :  one  named  Dame  Trot, 
a  pure  tabby ;  one  called  Mischief,  a  white  and 
gray;  and  Tortoise,  because  of  her  color.  Tor- 
toise had  a  litter  of  kittens  which  she  kept 
under  the  front  porch.  Joe  had  suspected  that 
the  cats  knew  something  of  the  disappearance 
of  the  little  birds,  and  told  Rob  to  keep  his 
eyes  on  them.  As  he  sat  one  evening  on  the 
veranda  he  saw  Tortoise  suddenly  spring  from 
behind  a  cherry  tree  and  catch  one  of  the 
young  Leghorns  in  her  mouth  and  carry  it  to 
her  nest  under  the  porch.  Rob  immediately 
crawled  there,  and  to  his  surprise  found  the 
heads  of  more  than  twenty  chickens.  He  ran 
into  the  house  and  told  of  his  discovery.  His 
father  said  that  the  cat  must  be  killed  at  once; 
for  when  a  cat  gets  a  taste  for  chickens,  it  is 
impossible  to  break  it  of  the  habit,  and  Joe 


THE  STORY  OF  IS-A-DILL-A  245 

was  commissioned  to  put  the  guilty  Tortoise 
out  of  the  way. 

Kate  cried  and  was  in  great  distress,  for  Tor- 
toise was  her  cat,  and  she  begged  her  father  to 
put  off  its  death  until  to-morrow  morning,  when 
she  would  go  and  spend  the  day  with  Jenny 
Campbell.  She  could  not  bear  to  stay  and  see 
her  favorite  cat  killed.  Her  request  was  granted, 
and  Tortoise  had  a  respite  until  morning,  but 
she  was  shut  up  in  a  box  so  that  she  could  not 
get  any  more  of  the  chickens. 

When  morning  came,  Kate  got  Rob  to  saddle 
Ginger,  but  before  she  started  she  begged  Joe 
to  bury  Tortoise  in  some  out  of  the  way  place 
where  she  would  never  find  her  grave.  Joe 
promised  he  would,  and  when  his  sister  was  out 
of  sight  down  the  trail,  he  took  the  cat  out  of 
her  prison  and  went  to  the  woodpile,  and  with 
one  stroke  of  the  axe  cut  off  her  head.  Then 
he  took  her  down  into  the  woods  and  buried 
her  under  a  bunch  of  wild  plum  bushes,  where 
no  one  would  ever  see  the  grave. 

After  the  death  of  Tortoise  the  chickens 
throve  admirably,  and  no  more  were  ever  missed 
by  reason  of  the  cats  having  caught  them. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE  PAWNEES  RETURN  —  ANTELOPE  HUNT  WITH  THE  INDIANS  — 
JOE  MISSES  —  WHITE  WOLF  —  TALK  OF  A  WILD  HORSE  HUNT 
—  THE  SAND-HILL  CRANES  —  THEIR  WEIRD  COTILLION 

THE  Pawnees  camped  on  the  Oxhide  that 
autumn  earlier  than  usual,  as  one  of  the  boys  of 
the  tribe  had  said  they  would. 

The  band  arrived  the  first  week  in  September, 
and  Joe  was  again  in  his  element.  He  spent 
every  spare  moment  in  the  camp,  but,  much  to 
his  regret,  learned  that  his  old  friend  Yellow 
Calf  was  dead;  he  had  died  about  a  month 
before  of  sheer  wearing  out.  He  was  nearer 
ninety  than  eighty,  which  he  had  given  as  his 
age  to  Joe.  One  of  the  younger  of  the  principal 
men  had  been  made  chief  in  his  place.  He  had 
been  with  the  band  every  season  when  they 
camped  on  the  creek,  and  also  was  a  firm  friend 
to  Joe,  so  the  boy  had  lost  nothing  except  the 
presence  of  the  old  fellow  who  thought  so  much 

of  him. 

246 


HUNTING   WITH  THE   PAWNEES  247 

One  morning  about  the  middle  of  April  while 
the  Indians  were  still  on  the  Oxhide,  and  Joe  as 
usual  was  in  the  camp,  a  warrior  came  in  and 
reported  a  large  herd  of  antelope  on  the  Smoky 
Hill  bottom ;  he  said  there  were  at  least  eight 
hundred  of  them.  He  proposed  to  Joe  that 
they  should  go  after  them,  and  the  boy  agreed 
without  any  hesitation. 

The  chief  told  them  they  had  better  take  about 
half  a  dozen  of  the  men  with  them ;  for  if  the 
antelope  were  out  on  the  open  prairie,  they  could 
not  get  near  enough  to  them  without  a  great 
deal  of  trouble.  If  they  had  some  one  to  drive 
the  herd  toward  them  while  they  hid  themselves 
in  the  tall  grass,  they  could  entice  a  number 
within  range  by  using  the  usual  strategy. 

Joe  and  the  Indian,  whose  name  was  the 
White  Wolf,  started,  taking  with  them  seven  men 
of  the  band  as  drivers.  When  they  got  out  into 
the  opening  beyond  the  timber  on  the  Oxhide, 
they  discovered  the  large  herd  unsuspiciously 
grazing  about  two  miles  away. 

The  seven  Indians  were  then  ordered  to  make 
a  detour  far  beyond  the  animals,  at  least  a  mile 
from  the  far  side  of  them,  while  Joe  and  White 


248  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Wolf  secreted  themselves  in  a  large  patch  of 
bunch-grass.  This  was  out  on  the  prairie  about 
a  hundred  rods  distant  from  the  timber,  and  was 
pointed  to  by  White  Wolf  so  that  his  men  would 
understand  exactly  what  was  required  of  them. 

Joe  and  the  Indian  who  had  remained  behind 
with  him,  then  walked  leisurely  toward  the 
bunch  of  tall  grass.  They  had  plenty  of  time  to 
prepare  themselves,  as  it  would  take  at  least  an 
hour  before  the  Indians  could  get  beyond  the 
herd  to  move  it. 

On  the  way  to  the  prairie  Joe  had  stopped  at 
the  ranch,  to  borrow  the  Spencer  carbine  for 
White  Wolf,  while  he  took  his  little  Ballard  rifle, 
that  was  only  good  for  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
yards,  while  the  Spencer  would  carry  a  ball  five 
hundred. 

They  reached  their  hiding-place  in  plenty  of 
time,  for  they  lay  there  fully  fifteen  minutes 
before  they  saw  a  commotion  among  the  ante- 
lope. The  herd  were  observed  to  raise  their 
heads  as  if  they  winded  danger,  and  then  making 
a  few  of  their  characteristic  stiff-legged  bounds, 
they  stood  alert  as  if  preparing  for  flight. 

Joe  knew  by  this  that  the  animals  had  been 


HUNTING  WITH  THE  PAWNEES  249 

startled  by  the  Indians,  though  he  could  not  see 
a  sign  of  one  of  them. 

The  herd  at  first  ran  as  swiftly  as  they  could 
in  an  easterly  direction,  then  they  began  to 
slacken  their  pace,  and  a  few,  having  recovered 
their  courage,  commenced  to  nibble  gingerly  at 
the  short  buffalo  grass  again.  At  this  juncture 
White  Wolf  tied  a  white  rag  around  his  head, 
and,  standing  on  his  knees,  began  to  sway  his 
body  backward  and  forward  with  a  steady  oscil- 
lating motion.  Presently  the  antelope  saw  him, 
and  a  few  of  them  stopped  short  to  gaze  at  the 
strange  object. 

In  a  few  moments  four  or  five  of  the  inquisi- 
tive creatures  moved  slowly  forward  again,  still 
attracted  by  the  swaying  white  figure  of  the  sav- 
age, which  so  excited  their  curiosity.  Presently, 
as  they  came  closer  and  closer,  Joe  told  White 
Wolf  not  to  fire  until  they  came  within  range  of 
his  little  gun.  Soon  the  proper  distance  was 
attained,  and  Joe,  drawing  up  his  piece,  said :  — 

"  Now,  White  Wolf,  fire  away !  " 

Their  pieces  were  discharged  simultaneously ; 
it  seemed  like  a  single  shot,  so  accurately  had 
the  triggers  been  pulled  together.  Two  of  the 


250         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

graceful  creatures  rolled  over  on  their  sides, 
White  Wolfs,  instantly  killed,  while  Joe's  was 
sprawling  out,  every  limb  quivering  like  an  aspen 
leaf. 

Both  hunters  dropped  their  guns  and  started 
out  to  cut  the  throats  of  their  game.  Joe  was  in 
the  act  of  placing  his  hand  on  the  neck  of  the 
one  he  had  fired  at,  when,  to  his  surprise,  it 
jumped  to  its  feet  and  ran  off  to  join  its  not  far- 
away companions,  and  the  astonished  boy  never 
saw  it  again ! 

Which  was  the  more  surprised,  the  boy  or  the 
antelope,  it  would  be  difficult  to  determine.  He 
turned  to  the  savage,  who  was  bewildered,  too, 
and  asked  him  what  in  the  world  was  the  cause 
of  the  animal's  recovery  after  he  had  shot  him. 

"  I  aimed  at  his  heart  as  he  stood  broadside 
toward  me,"  said  Joe,  "and  I  don't  know  what 
it  means." 

"  You  only  grazed  him,"  answered  White  Wolf. 
"  We  Indians  often  catch  wild  horses  in  that  way, 
when  we  can't  get  them  in  any  other."  Of 
course,  they  conversed  in  the  Pawnee  tongue, 
for  the  savage  did  not  understand  a  word  of 
English. 


HUNTING  WITH  THE   PAWNEES  251 

"  Oh !  I  know  what  you  mean,  White  Wolf," 
said  Joe.  "  I  just  grazed  his  spinal  cord  with  the 
ball;  it  paralyzed  him  for  a  moment,  that's  all. 
Yellow  Calf  told  me  how  the  Pawnees  used  to 
catch  wild  horses  in  that  way,  down  on  the  Cim- 
arron  bottom,  when  the  tribe  lived  on  the  Re- 
publican River." 

"  I'm  soon  going  down  there  with  some  of  my 
warriors.  A  Kaw  brave  told  me  the  other  day 
that  there  are  a  good  many  wild  horses  there  yet ; 
will  you  go,  too?"  asked  White  Wolf  of  his 
young  friend. 

"  I'll  go  if  my  father  and  mother  are  willing, 
and  I  guess  they  will  be,"  replied  Joe.  "  I  should 
so  like  to  see  a  herd  of  wild  horses.  I  have  seen 
nearly  all  the  other  animals  that  live  on  the  plains 
and  in  the  timber,  but  have  never  seen  wild 
horses,  because  they  don't  range  as  far  east  as 
Oxhide  Creek.  There  are  lots  of  them  in  Ne- 
braska though,  farther  north,  Mr.  Tucker  says." 

As  the  prairie  was  too  level  for  the  hunters  to 
hope  to  get  near  the  antelope  again,  now  that 
they  had  discharged  their  pieces,  and  as  the 
other  Indians  were  coming  up  to  them,  they 
decided  to  go  back. 


252         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

One  of  White  Wolf's  men  packed  the  dead 
antelope  on  his  horse,  and  they  all  rode  slowly 
toward  Errolstrath.  When  they  arrived  there, 
White  Wolf  insisted  that  Joe  take  half  of  the 
game.  To  this  at  first  the  boy  did  not  agree, 
but  as  the  chief  insisted  so  persistently,  he  finally 
consented.  So  the  antelope  was  divided  fairly, 
one  portion  was  carried  into  the  house,  and  the 
other  to  the  Indian  camp  down  the  creek. 

At  dinner  Joe  told  his  father  that  White  Wolf 
was  going  to  the  Cimarron  bottom  in  a  few  days 
to  try  to  capture  some  wild  horses  which,  so  he 
learned  from  one  of  his  Kawr  friends,  were  roam- 
ing on  the  salt  marshes  of  that  region,  and  that 
the  chief  wanted  him  to  go  with  him. 

Mr.  Thompson  said  that  he  had  not  the  slight- 
est objection  now  that  the  war  was  over  and  there 
was  nothing  to  be  feared  from  the  savages,  but 
he  told  Joe  that  if  any  animals  were  captured,  he 
ought  to  be  entitled  to  a  share. 

"  I  have  made  that  all  right  with  White  Wolf 
already,  father,"  said  Joe.  "  He  agrees  to  give  me 
as  great  a  proportion  as  his  other  warriors  are 
entitled  to.  He  hopes  to  capture  at  least  one 
apiece,  as  the  Kaw  who  told  him  about  the  herd 


HUNTING  WITH  THE  PAWNEES  253 

said  there  were  three  or  four  hundred  of  them 
down  there." 

As  soon  as  dinner  was  over,  Joe  jumped  on  his 
pony  and  loped  off  to  the  Indian  camp  to  tell 
White  Wolf  that  he  could  go  to  hunt  wild  horses 
with  the  band. 

The  chief  said  that  he  was  glad  of  it,  and 
that  they  would  start  by  the  first  of  the  week. 
It  was  now  Thursday,  and  that  would  give 
them  all  plenty  of  time  to  make  ready.  He 
told  Joe  that  he  would  let  him  have  a  pony 
out  of  his  herd,  so  that  he  could  save  his  own 
the  hard  trip,  for  there  would  be  severe  work  for 
all  the  ponies. 

Joe  started  back  to  the  ranche,  and  when  he 
arrived  at  the  foot  of  Haystack  Mound,  on  the 
side  of  it  farthest  from  the  corral,  he  saw  a 
squadron  of  sand-hill  cranes  circling  around  near 
the  ground,  and  as  he  knew  they  were  going  to 
alight,  he  pulled  up  his  pony.  After  turning 
loose  his  animal,  which  he  knew  would  run  right 
to  the  corral,  he  hid  himself  in  the  plum  bushes 
which  grew  all  over  the  bottom,  to  watch  the 
strange  antics  of  those  curious  birds. 

They  dance  a  regular  cotillion  when  on  the 


254  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

ground.  They  chassez  backward  and  forward, 
and  waltz  around,  keeping  time  in  a  rude  sort  of 
way  as  they  go  through  the  mazes  of  their  weird 
movements. 

Presently  they  all  came  fluttering  down,  about 
forty  of  them,  and  immediately  began  their 
laughable  capers.  Joe  had  witnessed  their  per- 
formance a  hundred  times,  but  he  could  never 
resist  looking  at  it  again  whenever  the  opportu- 
nity offered.  They  danced  for  more  than  half  an 
hour,  and  then  seeming  to  have  enjoyed  them- 
selves sufficiently,  they  took  flight,  and  soon  were 
but  as  a  wreath  of  dark  blue  far  up  in  the  sky. 

Joe  returned  to  the  house,  and  puttered  around 
until  supper  was  ready.  At  the  table  he  told 
of  his  stopping  at  Haystack  Mound  to  witness 
the  antics  of  a  flock  of  cranes  that  had  alighted 
on  the  sand  knoll  near  there,  and  said  he  could 
sit  and  look  at  them  all  day. 

Of  course  all  the  family  had  witnessed  the 
performance  of  the  cranes  often,  for  in  the  season 
scarcely  a  day  passed  that  a  flock  did  not  make 
its  appearance  somewhere  on  the  ranche. 

Kate  said,  "  I  used  to  watch  them  on  the 
Canadian  when  I  was  in  the  Indian  village,  and 


HUNTING   WITH   THE   PAWNEES  255 

they  were  about  the  only  things  that  I  laughed 
at  while  there.  After  I  had  been  there  about 
a  month  and  had  got  pretty  well  acquainted,  one 
of  the  boys  gave  me  a  young  crane  for  a  pet. 
He  became  so  tame  that  he  would  follow  me  all 
over  the  village. 

"  I  kept  him  three  months,  when  one  morning, 
as  I  was  walking  down  to  the  river  with  him, 
I  saw  him  suddenly  stop,  put  his  head  on  one 
side,  look  up  at  the  sky,  and  running  a  few 
steps,  fly  away.  I  watched  him  until  he  was 
out  of  sight.  It  was  a  flock  of  his  own  species 
that  he  had  seen,  and  I  did  not  even  begin  to 
hear  their  croaking  until  he  was  far  out  of 
sight." 


CHAPTER   XVII 

WILD     HORSES  —  JOE     SLEEPS    IN     WHITE    WOLF'S     TENT CAMP 

ON  THE  WALNUT  —  WOLVES  AND  LYNXES  —  KILL  AN  ELK  — 
THE  CHASE  —  CAPTURE  OF  THE  BLACK  STALLION  —  WHITE 
WOLF'S  SKILL  —  BREAKING  THE  HORSES 

THE  Pawnees  remained  on  Oxhide  Creek  later 
than  usual  this  spring.  As  they  wanted  to  go 
on  a  hunt  for  the  wild  horses  on  the  Cimarron 
bottom,  they  had  to  wait  until  the  grass  grew 
enough  to  furnish  pasture  for  their  own  ponies 
on  the  trip. 

About  the  middle  of  April,  White  Wolf  told 
his  warriors  that  he  would  start  in  a  few  days. 
A  runner  was  despatched  to  Errolstrath,  to  tell 
Joe  the  band  would  leave  in  a  short  time,  and 
to  be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  runner 
said  that  when  White  Wolf  started  he  wanted 
to  be  off  very  early  in  the  morning,  so  as  to 
make  the  Arkansas  the  first  night. 

Joe,  all  anxious  for  the  exciting  trip,  persuaded 

his  mother  and  sisters  to  bake  up  a  lot  of  bread, 

256 


CAPTURING  WILD  HORSES  2$ 7 

and  boil  hard  a  couple  of  dozen  eggs  for  him. 
He  told  them  that  that  would  be  all  he  wanted, 
as  they  intended  to  depend  upon  the  chase, 
Indian  fashion,  for  everything  else;  and  as  the 
country  they  were  going  over  was  full  of  buffalo, 
antelope,  and  elk,  they  would  not  suffer  from 
lack  of  food. 

He  cleaned  his  father's  Spencer  carbine,  bought 
a  box  of  cartridges  for  it,  and  told  Kate  that 
he  intended  to  ride  the  roan  which  she  got 
from  the  Indians  and  had  given  to  him.  He 
thought  the  animal  was  better  than  any  the 
Pawnees  had  in  their  herd,  though  White  Wolf 
had  said  that  he  could  ride  one  of  theirs. 

The  night  of  the  third  day  after  the  runner 
had  come  to  tell  Joe  to  get  ready,  another  one 
came  to  the  ranche  and  said  that  White  Wolf 
and  the  warriors  would  start  in  the  morning. 
He  told  him  that  he  had  better  come  to  the 
camp  with  him,  and  stay  there  that  night,  so  that 
there  would  be  no  delay  about  getting  off  early 
in  the  morning.  So  Joe  got  his  things  ready, 
tied  a  couple  of  blankets  to  the  cantle  of  his 
saddle,  his  lariat  to  the  horn ;  slung  his  carbine 
over  his  shoulder,  and  buckled  his  belt  of  car- 


258         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

tridges  around  his  waist.  He  then  bade  good  by 
to  the  family,  jumped  on  his  pony,  which  he 
had  named  Comanche,  after  the  tribe  which  had 
captured  Kate,  and  rode  with  the  runner  who  had 
come  for  him,  to  the  Pawnee  camp  a  mile  distant. 

Arriving  there,  Joe  found  everything  in  con- 
fusion. Some  of  the  warriors  were  picketing 
their  riding  animals  near  the  tepees,  allowing 
the  loose  ponies  to  run  at  large,  as  they  will 
never  leave  the  main  bunch.  Others  were  pack- 
ing their  wallets  of  par-fleche  with  dried  meat 
for  the  journey.  White  Wolf  was  sitting  in  the 
door  of  his  lodge,  smoking  his  pipe  and  giving 
general  directions  to  his  warriors. 

At  last  everything  was  straightened  out  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  chief,  and  then  all  ad- 
journed to  their  several  tepees  to  make  ready 
their  arms  and  ropes  for  the  work  that  was  to 
be  done  when  they  reached  the  Cimarron. 

Joe  slept  in  the  lodge  of  the  chief  that  night, 
and  before  the  dawn  was  fairly  upon  the  world, 
the  warriors  were  up,  saddling  their  ponies,  tak- 
ing down  their  lodges,  and  packing  their  traps 
on  the  backs  of  the  animals  designated  for  that 
purpose.  Then  after  a  hastily  swallowed  break- 


CAPTURING   WILD   HORSES  2 59 

fast  of  dried  buffalo  meat,  at  a  signal  from 
White  Wolf,  the  party  mounted,  and  the  caval- 
cade rode  southwest  at  a  gentle  lope,  the  pack 
animals  in  front,  in  charge  of  two  warriors. 

Joe  rode  alongside  of  White  Wolf  in  the 
centre  of  the  column,  and  they  talked  of  the 
probability  of  finding  the  herd  of  wild  horses 
on  the  salt  marsh  where  they  were  going. 

They  pulled  up  about  noon  to  graze  their 
animals  and  to  have  a  smoke,  which  is  the  first 
thing  an  Indian  does  when  he  halts :  it  is  of 
more  importance  to  him  than  eating. 

The  Big  Bend  where  the  Pawnees  wished  to 
cross  the  Arkansas  was  seventy-two  miles  from 
the  Oxhide,  near  the  famous  Pawnee  Rock,  on 
the  old  Santa  Fe  Trail. 

When  the  sun  was  about  two  hours  high, 
they  could  see,  three  or  four  miles  distant,  the 
white  contour  of  the  sand  hills  which  border 
the  great  silent,  treeless  stream,  and  the  Indians 
knew  that  their  camping-ground  was  near.  It 
was  to  be  in  the  timber  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Walnut,  less  than  two  miles  from  the  spot  where 
they  would  strike  the  Arkansas. 

Before   it  had   grown   fairly  dark,  the   heavy 


260  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

timber  on  the  Walnut  was  reached,  and  the 
party  halted,  turned  their  animals  loose,  took 
another  smoke,  and  then  prepared  for  the  night. 

Around  the  camp-fire,  White  Wolf  and  sev- 
eral of  the  oldest  warriors  told  how  that  region 
once  belonged  to  their  tribe.  Their  largest  vil- 
lage had  been  two  hundred  miles  farther  north, 
on  the  Republican,  and  many  times  they  had 
come  down  to  where  they  were  now  camped, 
to  hunt  the  buffalo,  or  steal  horses  from  the 
Cheyennes,  their  hereditary  enemies.  They  told 
how  they  were  once  a  powerful  nation,  but  the 
white  man  had  stolen  their  lands,  and  now,  only 
a  small  band,  they  were  obliged  to  live  on  a 
reservation  set  apart  for  them  by  the  Govern- 
ment. 

It  was  a  wild  region  where  Joe  now  found 
himself.  All  night  long  could  be  heard  the  cry 
of  the  lynx,  which  sounded  like  that  of  an  in- 
fant. The  wolves  howled  in  the  timbered  re- 
cesses of  the  creek,  but  Joe  slept  well,  rolled  up 
ki  his  blankets  in  the  chiefs  lodge,  and  it  was 
morning  before  he  thought  he  had  been  asleep 
an  hour. 

At  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  the  Indians  were 


CAPTURING  WILD  HORSES  36 1 

out.  White  Wolf  said  that  the  mouth  of  the 
Walnut  used  to  be  a  favorite  place  for  elk.  They 
might  still  haunt  the  stream ;  he  would  send  out 
some  of  his  hunters,  and  perhaps  they  would 
have  elk  for  their  breakfast. 

He  selected  two  of  the  warriors,  who  started 
out  on  foot  to  see  if  they  could  find  any  game. 
Joe,  of  course,  accompanied  them.  They  stalked 
cautiously  as  only  an  Indian  can  —  Joe  had 
mastered  the  art  perfectly  —  along  the  bank  of 
the  stream,  not  a  stick  breaking  under  their  feet, 
nor  the  sound  of  the  rustle  of  a  dead  leaf  being 
heard,  so  quietly  did  they  tread. 

At  last,  arriving  at  a  bend  of  the  creek,  where 
the  timber  grows  the  thickest,  the  Indian  in  the 
lead  stopped  abruptly,  put  his  hand  out  behind 
him,  the  sign  for  the  others  to  halt,  and  taking 
Joe's  carbine  from  the  boy's  shoulder,  got  down 
on  his  belly  and  crawled  forward  as  noiselessly 
as  a  snake.  Suddenly  he  raised  the  gun,  and 
seeming  to  take  a  careless  aim,  pulled  the  trigger, 
and  immediately  Joe  and  the  other  warrior  saw 
four  elk  rush  past  them,  down  the  prairie,  and 
out  of  sight. 

As  he   turned   to   Joe  and  the  other  warrior, 


262  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

telling  them  at  the  same  time  to  come  on,  the 
Indian  who  had  fired  said  in  his  own  language, 
*  Well  have  elk  for  breakfast  now." 

They  followed  him  into  the  timber,  and  there, 
not  thirty  yards  from  where  he  had  stood  when 
he  fired  the  carbine,  was  an  elk,  about  two  years 
old,  dead  as  a  stone  wall ! 

The  work  of  skinning  the  elk  did  not  take 
more  than  ten  minutes,  and  it  was  cut  up  into 
conveniently  sized  pieces,  and  each  one  of  the 
hunters  packed  his  portion  to  camp,  less  than  a 
mile  distant. 

When  they  arrived  they  found  the  fire  burning 
briskly,  for  White  Wolf  and  the  other  warriors 
had  heard  the  report  of  the  gun,  and  they  knew 
that  something  in  the  shape  of  game  had  been 
secured,  for  Mazakin  and  Trotter,  the  two  Indians 
whom  the  chief  had  sent  out,  were  unfailing  shots. 
The  meat  was  soon  cut  into  slices,  and  each  man 
cut  a  twig  fork  upon  which  he  stuck  a  slice,  and 
every  one  became  a  cook  for  himself.  Joe  pro- 
duced a  loaf  of  his  bread,  and  with  water  alone 
for  drink  they  made  an  excellent  meal. 

When  they  had  finished,  the  sun  was  just  ris- 
ing like  a  great  molten  ball  out  of  the  horizon 


CAPTURING  WILD  HORSES  263 

of  the  far-stretching  level  prairie.  The  ponies, 
standing  ready,  were  mounted,  and  the  party 
moved  out,  crossed  the  Arkansas  at  Pawnee 
Rock,  and  continued  a  southwesterly  course  all 
day. 

By  sundown  they  arrived  at  the  Cimarron,  a 
clear,  babbling  stream,  where  the  water  was  a 
little  brackish,  and  which  the  Cheyennes  call 
Ho-to-oa-oa  (Buffalo). 

There  were  no  trees  at  this  part  of  the  Cimar- 
ron in  those  days,  and  they  were  obliged  to  pitch 
their  camp  on  the  sandy  bank  of  the  river.  The 
grass  was  luxurious,  and  their  animals  fairly 
revelled  in  it.  They  soon  filled  themselves  and  lay 
down,  as  if  they  realized  the  hard  work  which 
would  be  their  portion  for  the  next  few  days. 

There  were  plenty  of  fish  in  the  river,  and  as 
Joe  had  thoughtfully  brought  some  hooks  and 
lines,  he  and  White  Wolf  with  two  of  the  other 
warriors  took  dried  buffalo  meat  for  bait,  and 
soon  caught  all  they  wanted  for  their  supper. 

The  next  morning  they  broke  camp  at  day- 
break, and  rode  for  a  grove  of  timber  just  visible 
in  the  far-distant  western  horizon,  where  White 
Wolf  said  he  believed  they  would  find  some  wild 


264        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

horses.  They  always  take  shelter  at  night  in 
timber  if  any  is  to  be  found,  and  wander  out  on 
the  prairie  in  the  morning  to  graze. 

The  party  arrived  at  the  grove  by  two  o'clock, 
and  established  their  permanent  camp,  as  they 
saw  the  unmistakable  signs  that  a  herd  of  wild 
horses  made  it  their  nightly  rendezvous.  Their 
lodges  were  put  up  in  the  southern  edge  of  the 
grove,  away  from  the  trails  of  the  animals. 

The  Indians  kept  very  quiet  all  day,  sitting  in 
the  shadow  of  their  lodges,  smoking  and  talking. 
They  did  not  even  build  any  fires,  but  contented 
themselves  with  their  dried  buffalo  meat  and  the 
bread  which  Joe  had  brought,  for  fear  of  making 
the  slightest  disturbance,  and  thus  preventing  the 
wild  horses  from  returning  to  their  usual  nightly 
resting-place.  Every  once  in  a  while,  either 
White  Wolf  himself  or  some  of  the  other  war- 
riors would  venture  out  of  the  timber  and  gaze 
long  and  anxiously  over  the  vast  prairie,  in  hope 
of  seeing  something  of  the  bunch,  which  they 
knew  was  grazing  somewhere  not  many  miles 
away.  Once  the  chief  thought  he  saw  in 
the  distance,  moving  objects  which  he  took  for 
horses,  for  he  was  noted  far  beyond  any  other 


CAPTURING  WILD   HORSES  265 

member  of  his  band  for  his  keen  sight.  He  was 
right  in  his  conjectures,  for  before  half  an  hour  had 
passed  from  the  time  he  had  first  riveted  his  atten- 
tion, the  bunch — for  such  it  was  —  had  swung 
around,  broadside  to,  and,  approaching  nearer 
the  timber,  could  be  counted.  There  were  over 
forty  animals,  led  by  a  magnificent  black  horse 
which  the  chief  said  he  would  try  to  capture. 

It  was  a  beautiful  sight,  and  Joe  stood  trans- 
fixed as  they  kicked  up  their  heels,  and  raced 
after  one  another  like  a  group  of  school  children, 
little  suspecting  that,  before  the  sun  went  down 
the  next  evening,  many  of  them  would  be  ridden 
by  the  Indians  who  were  now  gazing  at  them  so 
covetously. 

Night  seemed  to  be  very  slow  in  coming  to 
the  band  of  Pawnees,  who  smoked  and  smoked 
incessantly,  to  pass  the  long  hours  before  dark- 
ness would  invite  the  herd  to  seek  its  bed-ground. 
At  last  after  dark,  by  the  light  of  the  crescent 
moon,  they  saw  the  animals,  led  by  the  coal-black 
stallion,  cautiously  walk  into  the  timber  about  a 
mile  from  the  Pawnee  camp.  When  the  neighing 
and  pawing  had  ceased,  the  hunters  wrapped 
themselves  in  their  blankets  and  buffalo  robes, 


266  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

intending  to  be  up  before  it  was  light,  and  sur- 
prise the  herd  before  it  was  ready  to  go  out  to 
graze. 

The  ponies  were  securely  picketed,  saddles, 
girths,  and  bridles  examined,  buffalo-hair  lariats 
overhauled,  and  all  made  ready  for  an  early  start 
on  the  hard  day's  ride. 

Long  before  the  sun  had  showed  the  faintest 
indication  of  his  coming ;  while  the  stars  were 
still  shining  brilliantly,  the  Indians  and  Joe  were 
up,  and  hastily  breakfasting,  or  taking  their  matu- 
tinal smoke.  They  then  mounted  their  ponies, 
and  stealthily  walked  the  animals  in  the  direction 
of  the  slumbering  bunch  of  wild  horses. 

When  they  had  arrived  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  the  place  where  the  handsome  creatures 
were  still  unconsciously  resting,  one  of  the  Indi- 
ans and  Joe,  who  was  as  good  as  the  best  man 
among  them,  dismounted  and  crawled  forward  in 
the  brush  to  reconnoitre.  They  returned  in  a 
few  moments  and  reported  to  White  Wolf  that 
all  was  quiet,  not  a  single  horse's  ear  had  they 
seen  pricked  up,  so  the  animals  had  not  as  yet 
been  warned  of  danger. 

White  Wolf  then  gave  his  orders,  making  such 


CAPTURING   WILD   HORSES  267 

disposition  of  his  forces  as  would  cause  the  herd 
to  be  surrounded  when  the  warriors  had  ap- 
proached near  enough  to  use  their  lassoes.  So 
quietly  did  the  ponies  do  their  duty,  that  when 
the  herd  was  awakened  to  hear  and  see  their 
enemies  almost  upon  them,  the  lassoes  of  several 
of  the  warriors  had  done  their  work. 

As  the  others  bounded  away  with  astonishing 
speed,  out  of  the  timber  and  over  the  prairie,  a 
spirited  chase  commenced.  The  Pawnees  urged 
their  ponies  to  their  greatest  capacity,  the  manes 
and  tails  of  the  wild  horses  in  front  were  flying 
wildly  in  the  air,  while  their  hoofs  were  beating 
the  hard  sod,  showing  how  tightly  strung  were 
the  muscles  of  the  frightened  animals. 

The  Pawnees  were  obviously  gaining  upon  the 
fugitives,  quick-footed  though  they  were.  The 
chief  came  up  with  the  leader,  the  splendid  black 
stallion,  and  began  to  swing  his  lasso  around  his 
head,  gradually  enlarging  the  circles  by  permit- 
ting the  rough  buffalo-rope  to  slip  gently  through 
his  fingers.  A  sudden  movement  at  the  same 
instant  plunged  the  stallion  into  an  increased 
speed,  when,  White  Wolf  thumping  the  flanks  of 
his  mettlesome  pony,  it  dashed  quickly  forward, 


268  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

and  the  Pawnee  threw  his  lariat  with  unerring 
skill  around  the  neck  of  the  black  horse.  The 
bunch  was  thrown  into  a  panic,  when  the  mem- 
bers of  it  saw  their  leader  tumble  to  the  ground, 
and  wheeling  round  in  their  course,  they  were 
completely  surrounded  by  their  pursuers.  At 
least  ten  were  lassoed  by  the  same  number  of 
Pawnees,  including  Joe,  who  had  long  ago  be- 
come an  expert  with  the  rope.  The  remainder 
of  the  bunch  not  yet  caught  were  kept  together 
by  the  rest  of  the  Indians,  who  were  continually 
circling  around  them,  so  that  not  one  escaped, 
and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  the  whole  forty  were 
lassoed,  and  tied  fast  by  the  legs.  Some  fifteen 
of  them  were  not  desirable  animals,  and  these 
were  turned  loose  again. 

The  business  of  breaking  them  in  began  when 
they  had  driven  the  remaining  twenty-five  to  their 
camp  down  on  the  farther  edge  of  the  grove. 
The  frightened  animals,  notwithstanding  their 
fetters  of  rawhide,  kicked  up  the  earth,  shook 
their  heavy  manes,  curved  their  necks,  and,  with 
eyes  that  seemed  all  afire,  gazed  tremblingly  at 
their  captors. 

As  White  Wolf  wanted  the  black  stallion  for 


CAPTURING  WILD  HORSES  269 

his  own  riding,  he  began  with  him.  It  took  four 
of  the  stoutest  Pawnees  to  hold  the  fiery  creature 
by  a  long  lasso;  this  had  the  effect  of  partial 
strangulation,  which  weakened  and  temporarily 
overcame  the  wonderful  power  of  the  spirited 
creature.  Violent  were  his  plunges  as  he  tried 
to  free  himself  from  the  grasp  of  his  captors. 
His  terrific  leaps  only  served  to  draw  the  lariat 
tighter  around  his  neck;  his  breathing  became 
more  and  more  difficult,  and  might  have  been 
heard  for  the  eighth  of  a  mile.  His  heart  beat  as 
if  it  would  burst  from  his  heaving  chest,  and  his 
veins  stood  out  in  great  ridges  along  his  quiver- 
ing flesh. 

At  last,  overwhelmed  by  his  agony  and  fear, 
powerless  with  suffocation,  he  fell,  and  for  an 
instant  lay  upon  the  ground  without  sense  or 
motion.  The  lariat  was  immediately  loosened 
around  his  neck,  and  as  consciousness  returned 
to  him,  his  already  glazed  eyes  became  bright 
again,  the  fresh  air  dilated  his  nostrils,  and  his 
tremendous  chest  rose  and  fell. 

In  ten  minutes  he  was  on  his  feet,  but  how 
different  he  appeared  from  the  magnificent  ani- 
mal which  had  stood  in  all  his  native  pride  and 


2/0         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

dignity  at  the  head  of  his  band.  He  was  weak, 
hardly  able  to  stand,  his  great  head  drooped,  and 
his  eyes  were  without  that  natural  brilliancy 
which  had  so  markedly  characterized  them;  he 
appeared  only  the  ghost  of  his  former  self.  Like 
a  monarch  who  had  been  dragged  from  his  throne, 
who  has  been  scoffed  at  by  those  whom  he  had 
previously  despised,  he  was  destined  to  become 
the  slave  of  man. 

As  soon  as  the  horse  somewhat  recovered 
from  his  exhaustion,  he  was  mounted  by  White 
Wolf,  who  kept  his  seat,  notwithstanding  the 
animal's  terrific  efforts  to  throw  him,  and  forced 
him  to  run  round  and  round  in  a  circle.  If  for  a 
moment  the  horse  showed  the  slightest  mani- 
festation of  flagging  or  obstinacy,  White  Wolf 
would  give  him  an  awful  blow  over  the  head  with 
his  heavy  buffalo-hair  rope.  Gradually  he  be- 
came more  passive,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour 
from  the  time  when  the  chief  had  mounted  him, 
he  was  declared  broken,  and  was  led  away  to  be 
picketed  with  the  rest  of  the  Indian  ponies. 

The  remaining  twenty-four  horses  were  all  sub- 
jected to  the  same  course  of  discipline;  some 
giving  up  in  a  few  moments,  others  as  obstinate 


CAPTURING   WILD   HORSES  2/1 

as  was  their  leader.  Before  dark  all  had  been 
sufficiently  subdued  to  suit  a  savage's  idea  of 
gentleness,  and  the  party  went  to  bed  that  night 
elated  over  their  wonderful  success. 

The  next  morning  they  started  for  home,  camp- 
ing at  the  same  place  on  the  Walnut.  From 
there  to  the  Oxhide,  they  made  two  night  halts 
instead  of  one,  as  on  their  outward  trip. 

Joe's  share  of  the  capture  was  three  beautiful 
ponies.  Under  the  discipline  of  the  kindness 
which  always  prevailed  at  Errolstrath,  these  were 
made  in  a  few  weeks  almost  as  gentle  as  tame 
horses. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  LAST  HERD  OF  BUFFALO  —  THE  STAMPEDE  —  THE  SOLDIERS 
IN  FULL  CHASE  —  JOE  GETS  TWO  COWS; — HAULING  IN  THE 
MEAT  —  RATTLESNAKES 

THE  last  big  herd  of  buffalo  ever  seen  in  the 
valley  of  the  Oxhide  visited  their  ancient  feeding- 
grounds  during  that  same  spring  of  1869,  when 
Joe  hunted  wild  horses  on  the  Cimarron  with  the 
Pawnees.  One  morning,  shortly  after  his  return 
to  Errolstrath,  an  immense  number  of  the  shaggy 
ruminants  came  tearing  across  the  Smoky  Hill, 
below  the  fort.  They  rushed  up  toward  the 
soldiers'  barracks,  and  dashed  wildly  through 
the  post,  over  the  parade-ground,  and  on  toward 
the  Oxhide. 

In  a  moment  the  whole  garrison  was  in  full 
chase,  enlisted  men  and  officers,  and  a  fusillade 
ensued,  which  sounded  at  a  distance  like  a  gen- 
eral engagement  of  troops.  The  firing  was  heard 
on  the  Oxhide,  and  several  of  t  the  Pawnees  who 

happened  to  be  out  on  the  highest  bluffs  saw  the 

272 


THE  LAST  HERD  OF  BUFFALO         273 

herd  coming.  One  of  their  number  hurried  to 
their  camp  and  notified  the  other  warriors,  who 
immediately  mounted  their  ponies  and  got  ready 
for  the  chase.  Joe  and  Rob  were  hunting  rabbits 
with  their  hounds  that  morning  on  an  elevated 
plateau,  and  they,  too,  saw  the  cloud  of  dust  raised 
by  the  great  herd,  as  it  came  thundering  through 
the  Smoky  Hill  bottom.  Forgetting  all  about 
rabbits  and  everything  else,  they  rushed  to  the 
house  for  their  guns.  In  a  few  moments  they 
joined  the  Indians,  who  were  coming  at  a  break- 
neck gait  toward  the  on-rushing  mass.  The 
buffalo,  wild  with  fear  and  excitement  at  their 
proximity  to  the  cabins  of  the  settlers,  were  on  a 
general  stampede. 

When  buffalo  are  stampeded,  they  become 
absolutely  blind,  and  rush  without  any  aim  into 
anything  that  is  in  their  path.  Some  of  the 
frightened  beasts  that  now  had  reached  Errol- 
strath  ranche,  dashed  through  the  front  yard, 
leaping  over  fences  and  gates  as  easily  as  a 
greyhound.  In  their  mad  career  they  knocked 
down  the  milk-pans,  water-buckets,  and  other 
things  that  stood  near  the  kitchen  door. 

Kate  was  standing  on  the  wash-bench,  trying 


2/4         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

to  get  a  good  look  at  the  buffalo  as  they  came 
tearing  along,  and  before  she  was  aware  of  the 
fact,  she  found  herself  sprawling  on  the  ground. 
An  old  bull  that  was  separated  from  the  rest  of 
the  herd  had  come  dashing  round  the  corner  of 
the  house,  and  striking  the  end  of  the  bench  with 
his  leg,  sent  Kate  headlong.  She  picked  herself 
up  unhurt,  and  rushed  into  the  house,  almost  as 
badly  scared  as  when  the  Cheyennes  had  swooped 
down  on  her. 

She  gathered  her  wits  in  a  moment,  and  with 
her  mother  and  sister  stood  on  the  back  ve- 
randa, where  they  could  all  see  the  herd  now  far 
up  on  the  hills,  and  still  running  in  their  mad- 
ness. The  Indians,  soldiers,  and  officers  were 
shooting  at  the  frenzied  beasts  as  they  ran 
among  them,  regardless  of  consequences.  Now 
and  then  they  toppled  one  of  the  huge  animals 
over,  but  the  white  men  in  their  excitement 
missed  oftener  than  they  hit,  while  the  Pawnees 
rarely  failed  to  bring  down  their  game. 

The  party  on  the  porch  at  Errolstrath  watched 
the  herd  and  hunters  until  nothing  but  a  cloud 
of  dust  could  be  seen  far  in  the  distance,  yet 
the  yelling  of  the  Pawnees  could  still  be  faintly 


THE   LAST   HERD   OF  BUFFALO  2/5 

heard  long  after  the  buffalo  had  vanished  from 
sight. 

By  noon,  Indians  and  whites  slowly  retraced 
their  course  down  to  the  creek  bottom,  the  Paw- 
nees going  to  their  camp,  the  soldiers  to  the  fort, 
and  the  boys,  Joe  and  Rob,  home. 

"  How  many  of  the  buffalo  were  killed  after  all 
that  terrible  yelling  and  shooting  ? "  asked  their 
mother. 

"  Well,  not  nearly  as  many  as  ought  to  have 
been,"  answered  Joe.  "  I  never  saw  such  a  mixed- 
up  mess  in  all  my  life.  Enough  cartridges  were 
used  to  have  killed  five  hundred,  but  the  men 
from  the  fort  were  as  excited  as  the  buffalo,  and 
they  didn't  hit  an  animal  once  in  a  hundred 
shots,  and  then  when  they  did,  half  the  time  the 
ball  struck  them  where  it  had  no  more  effect 
than  if  you  had  hit  them  with  a  stick ! 

"  The  Pawnees  killed  more  than  all  the  others ; 
they  got  twenty-five,  and  have  gone  to  camp  for 
ponies  to  pack  the  meat  on.  I  don't  think  that 
fifty  buffaloes  were  killed  in  all.  I  got  two,  both 
of  'em  cows,  and  I  must  take  the  wagon  out  and 
haul  'em  in.  We  will  have  enough  meat  to  last  us 
a  long  while,  but  we  shall  have  to  smoke  most  of  it." 


2/6         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

"  Where  did  the  herd  go  ? "  inquired  Kate. 

"  Most  of  the  animals  kept  right  on  toward 
the  east,  while  some  of  them  turned  round  and 
travelled  south.  I  suspect  that  the  settlers  on 
Plum  Creek  flats  will  have  a  good  time  with 
them,  as  a  part  of  the  herd  that  went  south  was 
headed  for  there.  I  tell  you,"  continued  Joe, 
"you've  got  to  keep  a  clear  head  on  your 
shoulders  when  you  go  after  buffalo.  Most  of 
those  fellows  from  Fort  Marker  are  recruits,  and 
are  fresh  from  the  East ;  they  never  saw  a  buffalo 
before,  and  I  don't  wonder  they  were  excited." 

"  I  never  saw  so  many  rattlesnakes,"  said  Rob, 
"as  I  did  on  that  big  stony  prairie  where  we 
killed  the  majority  of  the  buffalo.  I  guess  I 
counted  fifty  if  I  did  one.  I  think  that  the 
stamping  of  the  buffalo  must  have  frightened 
them  out  of  their  holes." 

"  It's  very  lucky  that  the  rattlesnakes  out  here 
are  not  so  venomous  as  those  back  East,"  said  Mrs. 
Thompson ;  "  more  than  twenty  persons  have 
been  bitten  by  them  in  the  neighborhood  since 
we've  lived  here,  and  a  little  whiskey  soon  cures  it." 

"  Do  you  remember,  Gert,"  said  Kate,  "  when 
you  nearly  sat  down  on  one  that  was  curled  up 


THE  LAST  HERD  OF  BUFFALO  2/7 

on  that  stump  you  were  going  to  take  for  a  seat 
in  the  woods  last  autumn,  and  he  rattled  just  in 
time?" 

"  I  guess  I  do,"  answered  her  sister.  "  There's 
one  thing  I  like  about  a  rattlesnake:  he  always 
gives  you  good  warning  that  he  is  around.  He 
doesn't  ever  take  you  unawares,  like  some  ani- 
mals, a  bull  dog  for  instance,  that  says  nothing, 
and  takes  hold  of  you  before  you  know  it" 

"  Their  skins  make  pretty  belts  and  hatbands," 
said  Rob.  "The  cowboys  on  the  big  cattle 
ranches  kill  hundreds  of  them  while  they  are  out 
herding,  and  tan  the  skins  to  put  around  their 
hats.  I  saw  a  whole  set  of  jewelry  that  was 
made  out  of  the  rattles  and  mounted  with  gold 
wire.  One  of  the  boys  was  going  to  send  it  to 
Texas  to  his  sister." 

"  Well,  they  may  be  odd,"  said  Mrs.  Thompson, 
"  but  I  certainly  shouldn't  like  to  wear  them." 

"  I  like  the  furs  of  animals  better  than  any- 
thing for  ornament,  either  to  wear  or  to  have 
in  my  room,"  said  Kate.  "  I  guess  it  would 
make  a  city  girl  envious  to  see  my  chamber  with 
all  its  beautiful  skins  that  Joe  and  Rob  have 
given  me.  One  of  these  days  I  mean  to  have 


2/8  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

papa  send  some  of  those  otter  and  beaver  skins 
to  Kansas  City,  and  get  them  made  up  into  a  cape 
and  muff." 

"  He  will,"  said  her  mother.  "  I  was  telling 
your  father  only  the  other  day  when  we  were  up 
in  your  room,  that  it  was  a  pity  so  many  magnifi- 
cent skins  should  be  tacked  around  the  walls,  and 
lying  on  the  floor,  just  for  ornament,  when  there 
are  enough  there  to  make  us  all  a  set  of  winter 
furs.  He  said  he  would  send  them  off  in  a  few 
days,  so  I  think  you  will  have  your  wish  gratified 
before  long." 

The  boys  were  sent  with  the  wagon  to  bring 
back  the  meat  of  the  two  cows  that  Joe  had 
killed,  and  about  noon  they  returned.  The 
robes  were  very  fine  ones.  Joe  asked  the  Paw- 
nees to  tan  them  for  him,  and  when  they  were 
finished,  which  would  be  in  about  a  week,  he 
intended  to  make  them  a  present  to  his  father 
and  mother  for  their  bedroom. 

The  buffalo  meat  was  cut  up  that  evening,  by 
Mr.  Thompson,  and  on  the  next  day  was  smoked 
with  corn-cobs,  which  are  always  used  for  that 
purpose  out  West. 

While  getting  the  meat  ready,  Mr.  Thompson 


THE  LAST  HERD  OF  BUFFALO  2/9 

told  the  boys  that  he  wouldn't  be  at  all  surprised 
if,  when  they  wanted  buffalo  again,  they  would 
have  to  go  miles  away  for  them,  as  the  country 
was  becoming  so  thickly  settled  that  the  herds 
might  never  come  as  far  east  as  the  Oxhide. 
"  Of  course,"  continued  he,  "  the  antelope  will 
remain  with  us  a  long  time  yet,  but  even  they 
will  become  scarcer  each  year,  and  then  they, 
too,  will  disappear,  for  it  seems  that  the  great 
ruminants  of  the  plains  cannot  live  with  the 
white  man  as  they  can  with  the  savages.  The 
latter  have  no  permanent  home,  but  congregate 
in  temporary  villages  in  the  winter,  and  as  soon 
as  spring  opens,  they  are  off  again,  living  on 
horseback  and  depending  upon  the  chase  for 
their  existence.  It  has  ever  been  so  with  the 
Indian  since  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  in 
1620.  The  white  man  has  dogged  their  footsteps 
as  they  themselves  follow  the  deer.  One  of  the 
facetious  old  bishops  of  New  England,  I  forgot 
his  name  now,  said :  '  The  Puritans,  when  they 
landed  on  Plymouth  Rock,  first  fell  upon  their 
kneeS)  and  then  upon  the  aboriginees  T  It  ap- 
pears to  be  the  fate  of  the  red  men  to  vanish 
before  the  onward  march  of  the  whites." 


280         THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

"I  feel  sorry  for  the  Indians,  father,"  said  Joe. 
"  I  tell  you  it  would  have  made  you  almost 
weep  to  hear  White  Wolf,  that  night  we  camped 
on  the  Walnut,  relate  in  his  sorrowful  manner 
how  powerful  his  tribe  once  was,  before  the  white 
man  took  their  lands  away  from  them." 

"  I  have  a  warm  spot  in  my  heart  for  the 
Indian,"  said  Mr.  Thompson,  "  but  it  is  their  fate, 
I  suppose,  and  cannot  be  helped.  You  cannot 
civilize  the  old  ones,  and  the  only  hope  is  in 
taking  the  rising  generation  away  from  their 
tribal  affiliations  when  young,  and  teaching  them 
to  live  like  the  whites." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  INDIAN  HORSE-RACE  —  KATE'S  PONY  WINS  —  THE  TRADE  WITH 

THE  PAWNEES THE    DANCES   AT  NIGHT THE    INDIANS    SAY 

GOOD  BY  TO  THE   FAMILY NOBLE  ACTION  OF  WHITE  WOLF 

THE  Pawnees  having  remained  on  the  Oxhide 
much  longer  than  in  any  previous  season,  they 
began  to  make  preparations  for  departure.  Joe 
asked  the  chief  to  give  a  dance  with  his  warriors 
at  the  ranche,  for  his  parents  and  his  sisters  to 
see  how  the  Indians  enjoy  themselves. 

White  Wolf  said  he  would  be  sure  to  do  so 
the  night  before  they  left.  To-morrow,  they  were 
going  to  have  a  horse-race,  and,  should  his  father 
be  willing,  they  would  use  that  long,  level  stretch 
of  prairie  between  the  house  and  the  creek.  It 
was  a  distance  of  about  four  miles,  the  usual 
length  of  a  race-course  with  the  Indians. 

White  Wolf  said  that  the  wagers  would  be  ten 
horses,  and  that  if  Young  Panther  wanted  to  bet, 
he  would  make  one  with  him.  Joe  replied  that 

neither  he  nor  his  father  approved  of  betting,  but 

281 


282  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

that  both  of  them  dearly  loved  to  see  horses  run. 
"  If  I  believed  in  betting,  though,"  said  Joe  to  the 
chief,  "  I  would  bet  that  my  sister's  pony,  Ginger, 
can  outrun  any  pony  you  have."  The  chief 
smiled,  and  told  Joe  that  if  he  would  not  bet,  he 
might  ride  that  pony  in  the  race,  and  if  he  came 
out  ahead,  then  he  would  know  whether  his  sis- 
ter's animal  was  the  fastest.  Joe  agreed  to  it, 
and  when  he  returned  to  Errolstrath  he  obtained 
Kate's  permission  to  ride  Ginger  in  the  race  the 
following  day.  Mr.  Thompson  had  readily  given 
his  consent  to  the  Indians  to  use  the  trail  in 
front  of  the  house  as  a  race-course. 

Joe  went  down  to  the  camp  that  evening  and 
told  the  warriors  that  they  might  have  the  use  of 
the  course.  White  Wolf  then  said :  "  We  will 
be  up  there  by  the  time  the  sun  is  so  high," 
pointing  with  his  hand  to  where  the  sun  would 
be  at  eight  o'clock. 

"  All  right,"  replied  Joe ;  "  we  will  be  ready  for 
you.  The  folks  can  sit  on  the  porch  and  see  the 
whole  length  of  the  course.  Be  sure  to  come 
promptly." 

When  Joe  returned  to  the  ranche,  he  an- 
nounced that  he  wanted  to  get  up  very  early  in 


THE  INDIAN  HORSE-RACE  283 

the  morning,  and  as  Rob  was  always  the  first  one 
in  the  house  out  of  bed,  he  asked  him  to  call  him 
the  moment  he  awoke. 

Rob,  as  usual,  was  out  before  sunrise.  He 
promptly  called  his  brother,  who  lost  no  time  in 
dressing,  washing  at  the  spring,  and  going  out 
to  the  pasture  to  catch  Ginger.  He  led  him  to 
the  corral,  gave  him  a  most  vigorous  currying, 
after  which  he  fed  the  pony  an  extra  ration  of 
oats,  to  give  him  heart  for  the  race. 

Shortly  after  breakfast  was  out  of  the  way, 
Kate,  who  was  on  the  veranda,  feeding  the  mock- 
ing-birds, came  rushing  into  the  sitting-room, 
crying,  "  The  Pawnees  are  coming ;  I  can  hear 
their  tom-toms  beating ;  they  will  soon  be  here ! " 

All  the  family  went  out,  and  sure  enough, 
there  were  the  Indians  all  dressed  up  in  feathers, 
and  painted  in  every  imaginable  savage  manner. 
White  Wolf  had  a  row  of  white  dots  on  one 
cheek,  flanked  on  each  side  by  a  streak  of  ver- 
milion, while  the  other  was  green  and  blue.  He 
had  on  a  war  bonnet  with  eagle  feathers  sticking 
in  it  around  the  upper  edge,  making  it  look  like 
a  grotesque  crown.  Down  his  back  dragged 
a  long  trail  of  buffalo  hair  plaited  into  his  own, 


284  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

and  at  every  few  inches  for  its  whole  length  (it 
reached  the  ground  when  he  walked)  there  were 
fastened  bright  metal  disks  nearly  as  big  as  the 
top  of  a  tomato  can.  Around  his  wrists  were 
a  dozen  or  more  brass  rings,  and  on  his  bare 
ankles  he  wore  as  many  rings  of  the  same  mate- 
rial. He  had  an  embroidered  buffalo  robe 
thrown  gracefully  over  his  shoulders,  half  con- 
cealing his  coat  of  beaded  buckskin.  His  leg- 
gings were  of  the  same  stuff,  and  were  also  gayly 
decorated  with  colored  porcupine  quills  deftly 
woven  in  them.  The  other  warriors  were  simi- 
larly dressed  and  painted,  but  wore  only  one 
eagle  feather  in  their  bonnets,  which  was  the 
distinguishing  feature  between  them  and  their 
chief. 

Following  the  warriors  were  the  boys  of  the 
band,  each  riding  a  pony,  and  leading  others 
which  had  been  wagered  on  the  race. 

The  race  animals  were  ridden  by  their  owners, 
and  came  after  all  the  others ;  among  them  was 
the  wild  coal-black  stallion  that  White  Wolf  had 
captured  on  the  Cimarron.  He  looked  like  him- 
self now,  as  he  proudly  pranced  along,  his  mouth 
frothing  as  he  champed  on  his  rawhide  bit,  and 


THE  INDIAN  HORSE-RACE  285 

his  neck  arched  as  he  stepped  like  a  thorough- 
bred over  buffalo-grass  turf  leading  to  the  house. 

Several  of  the  warriors  had  tom-toms  in  front 
of  them,  which  they  were  beating  vigorously  with 
a  stick  as  they  rode  proudly  along.  The  tom- 
toms, or  drums,  are  made  of  tanned  buffalo  hide 
stretched  over  a  willow  hoop,  and  the  sound 
resembles  that  of  a  drum,  but  as  the  pounding 
is  simply  a  continuous  series  of  strokes  without 
any  variation,  it  is  not  music,  but  a  very  mo- 
notonous noise. 

When  the  band  had  arrived  at  the  house  the 
Indians  dismounted,  and  after  a  series  of  "  Hows  ? " 
—  their  customary  salutation  —  to  the  family  on 
the  veranda,  they  dismounted  and  began  to  con- 
verse among  themselves  in  an  excited  manner. 
Presently  one  of  the  warriors  started  on  a  run 
toward  the  creek.  He  soon  returned  with  some 
sticks,  and  then  he  and  another  warrior  began  to 
mark  out  the  course. 

This  took  them  some  time,  and  while  they 
were  at  the  work,  the  boys  who  were  to  ride  the 
race  began  to  cinch  up  their  buffalo-hide  sad- 
dles, and  prepare  themselves  for  the  impending 
struggle. 


286  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Joe  was  already  prancing  about  on  Ginger, 
and  he  could  hardly  hold  the  spirited  little 
beast,  so  anxious  was  it  to  be  off,  as  if  it  per- 
fectly understood  the  meaning  of  all  the  prepa- 
rations. The  Indian  ponies,  too,  seemed  to 
enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  thing,  for  they  also 
commenced  to  cavort  around,  and  it  was  with 
much  difficulty  that  their  riders  could  restrain 
them  from  bolting  down  the  track. 

At  last  everything  was  in  readiness,  the  ani- 
mals in  place,  Joe  on  the  outside  of  the  four 
who  were  to  run.  The  animals  were  all  jump- 
ing up  and  down,  stiff-legged,  and  bucking  with 
all  their  strength  to  throw  their  riders. 

In  a  few  moments  White  Wolf  gave  the 
signal,  and  away  they  darted  like  meteors.  Gin- 
ger kept  his  place  well,  the  black  stallion  lead- 
ing for  the  first  half-mile  until  a  big  roan  of 
one  of  the  warriors  took  the  lead ;  then  Ginger 
made  a  dash  ahead.  For  a  moment  it  was  nip 
and  tuck  which  would  keep  the  lead,  but  when 
the  second  mile  was  half  run,  the  animals  began 
to  show  their  powers  of  endurance.  Some 
flagged,  others  were  far  behind,  and  Ginger 
and  the  roan  were  going  relatively  slower; 


THE  INDIAN   HORSE-RACE  287 

when  all  at  once,  just  as  the  home  stretch  was 
reached,  Ginger  took  a  spurt  and  seeming  to 
gain  his  second  wind,  like  a  pugilist  in  the 
ring,  came  in  forty  feet  in  advance  of  the  roan, 
the  black  stallion  twenty  feet  behind  him.  The 
other  ponies  were  so  far  away,  that  if  they  had 
been  running  on  a  white  man's  course  they 
would  have  been  declared  "distanced/* 

Such  a  shout  went  up  from  the  veranda  of 
the  house,  where  the  family  were  sitting,  as 
they  saw  Ginger  dash  ahead,  and  Joe  caught 
the  sound  of  it  as  the  wind  wafted  the  paean  of 
victory  to  his  ears. 

White  Wolf  was  disappointed  in  the  result. 
He  thought  that  his  black  horse  had  great 
powers  of  endurance,  and  as  soon  as  they  were 
assembled  in  front  of  the  veranda,  he  offered 
Kate  five  of  the  best  and  youngest  of  his 
horses  in  exchange  for  Ginger.  Kate  hesitated 
for  a  moment,  but  considering  that  Ginger  was 
now  nearly  eight  years  old,  and  after  consulting 
with  her  father  and  Joe,  she  decided  to  make 
the  swap. 

As  the  chief  owned  the  roan  that  had  really 
won  the  race,  —  Ginger  being  a  mere  outsider 


288  THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

just  to  test  Joe's  belief  that  he  was  the  fastest 
animal,  —  White  Wolf  was,  in  fact,  the  winner, 
and  took  the  ten  ponies  that  were  wagered. 

With  the  assistance  of  her  father  and  brothers, 
Kate  selected  five  of  the  best  and  youngest  of 
the  chief's  bunch,  including  the  roan.  The  In- 
dians then  returned  to  their  camp,  promising 
to  come  up  that  evening  and  give  a  series  of 
dances,  as  they  intended  to  start  for  their  res- 
ervation the  next  morning. 

After  they  had  left  the  front  of  the  house, 
and  Joe  had  taken  the  five  new  ponies  to  the 
corral,  he  told  Kate  that  he  would  now  let  her 
have  Cheyenne  back,  and  he  would  take  the 
roan,  as  the  latter  was  too  large  a  horse  for  her 
to  ride.  Kate  agreed  readily  to  the  proposition, 
so  she  once  more  owned  the  little  animal  that  had 
brought  her  so  safely  from  the  Indian  village. 

When  the  family  had  finished  their  supper, 
Joe  and  Rob,  with  a  team  of  work  horses, 
dragged  several  large  logs  from  the  creek  to 
the  front  of  the  house  to  make  a  big  bonfire, 
for  the  Pawnee  dance. 

Shortly  after  dark  the  redskins  came  up 
with  their  best  toggery  on,  and  when  Joe,  who 


THE  INDIAN  HORSE-RACE  289 

had  donned  his  Indian  suit  for  the  occasion, 
told  White  Wolf  he  was  ready,  the  Indians 
commenced  to  circle  around  the  great  fire  of 
logs,  in  their  savage  fashion.  Some  of  them 
jumped  stiff -legged  like  an  antelope  when  he 
is  first  startled.  Others,  bending  nearly  double, 
shuffled  in  pairs,  each  one  on  his  own  hook,  try- 
ing to  see  which  could  make  the  most  ridicu- 
lous postures,  for  they  have  no  regular  figures, 
but  keep  admirable  time  to  the  drumming  on 
the  tom-toms. 

When  the  first  dance  was  finished,  they  gave 
a  representation  of  the  scalp  dance.  The  chief 
crept  along  the  ground,  putting  his  ear  close  to 
it,  in  the  attitude  of  listening  on  the  trail  of  the 
enemy,  then  waving  his  hand  for  his  warriors  to 
come  on,  they  rushed  into  a  supposed  Indian 
camp,  and  went  through  the  simulation  of  killing 
their  victim,  and  wrenching  off  his  hair  with  their 
knives.  The  motions,  which  at  times  were  really 
graceful,  were  carried  on  in  perfect  unison  with 
the  monotonous  pounding  of  the  drums. 

The  next  dance  was  named  "  Make  the  buffalo 
come."  The  medicine-men,  who  claim  to  possess 
mysterious  powers,  tell  the  warriors  to  dance,  for 


290  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

that  will  make  the  buffalo  come,  and  then  they 
can  get  their  meat.  The  crafty  old  fellows  are 

sure  never  to  order  the   dance  until   about   the 

» 

season  that  the  animals  come  to  that  part  of  the 
country  where  the  tribe  may  happen  to  be.  They 
are  kept  dancing  night  after  night  until  the  buf- 
falo really  make  their  appearance,  then  the  medi- 
cine-men claim  that  they  brought  them  by  their 
incantations  and  the  wonderful  power  of  their 
medicine. 

For  this  dance,  White  Wolfs  warriors  and  him- 
self covered  their  heads  with  the  skin  of  a  buf- 
falo's head,  horns  and  all,  so  that  they  looked  like 
a  lot  of  men  with  the  heads  of  that  animal  as  part 
of  their  anatomy.  It  was  a  long  dance,  and  dur- 
ing its  performance,  the  most  indescribable  antics 
were  gone  through. 

The  family  were  well  pleased  with  the  enter- 
tainment, and  when  it  was  over,  Mrs.  Thompson 
invited  the  Indians  into  the  sitting-room,  where 
the  girls  had  prepared  a  little  supper  for  them, 
consisting  of  cake  and  lemonade.  The  latter  was 
new,  and  created  quite  a  sensation,  but  Joe  told 
them  it  was  not  fire-water,  and  they  might  drink 
a  barrel  full  without  becoming  crazy. 


THE  INDIAN   HORSE-RACE 

At  midnight  when  the  dances  and  the  supper 
were  over,  the  Pawnees  rode  back  to  their  camp, 
delighted  with  their  evening's  entertainment. 

The  next  morning  Joe  was  down  at  the  Indian 
camp  very  early  to  see  his  dusky  friends  make 
ready  for  their  departure.  The  chief  told  him 
that  they  had  camped  on  the  Oxhide  for  the  last 
time;  the  whites  had  taken  up  all  the  country, 
and  the  buffalo  would  come  there  no  more. 
Now  when  they  needed  buffalo  meat,  they  would 
be  obliged  to  go  out  as  far  as  the  Walnut,  and  in 
a  few  more  years  there  would  be  no  buffalo  at 
all.  His  people  would  have  to  take  the  "  white 
man's  road "  if  they  expected  to  live.  He  and 
the  other  warriors  made  their  youthful  friend 
some  presents,  and  told  him  that  they  had  to  go 
by  the  house  to  take  the  trail  down  the  Smoky 
Hill  Fork  to  their  distant  home.  He  said  that 
they  would  stop  a  moment  at  the  ranche  to  say 
good  by  to  all  the  people  who  had  been  so  kind 
to  him  and  the  tribe  every  year  since  they  had 
camped  on  the  creek.  &&ac 

Joe  returned  to  Errolstrath,  feeling  very  sad, 
because  he  had  become  much  attached  to  the 
Indians,  and  he  knew  that  he  would  miss  them 


2Q2        THE  RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

so  much,  and  feel  lonely  for  a  long  time.  He 
told  the  family  that  the  Pawnees  would  come 
soon  to  say  farewell,  and  that  they  must  be  sure 
to  be  out  on  the  veranda  when  they  came. 

By  nine  o'clock,  Kate,  whose  ears  were  well 
trained  to  faint  sounds,  through  her  vigilance 
when  a  captive  in  the  Cheyenne  camp,  came  into 
the  house  from  the  porch  where  she  had  been 
attending  to  her  birds  as  usual,  and  said  the 
Pawnees  were  coming ;  she  could  hear  the  tread 
of  their  ponies'  hoofs. 

Then  the  family  took  their  places  on  the  ve- 
randa, as  they  had  promised  Joe.  Presently, 
slowly  coming  up  the  trail,  with  White  Wolf  in 
the  lead,  the  band  of  Pawnees  were  seen  approach- 
ing the  house.  Arrived  in  front,  they  all  halted, 
and  with  their  usual  "How?  How?  "saluted  the 
family. 

All  came  down  from  the  porch  to  shake  hands, 
when  Ginger,  who  with  the  other  ponies  was  run- 
ning loose  in  the  bunch,  came  up  to  Kate  and, 
neighing  affectionately,  began  to  rub  his  nose 
against  her  arm  and  shoulder.  The  salutation 
of  her  once  favorite  pony  was  too  much  for  the 
warm-hearted  girl,  and  she  burst  into  tears  as 


THE  INDIAN  HORSE-RACE  293 

she  returned  the  animal's  love  for  her  by  throw- 
ing her  arms  around  his  neck. 

"  Oh,  father ! "  said  she,  "  why  did  I  ever  con- 
sent to  part  with  Ginger  ?  I  am  so  sorry  now. 
I  would  give  worlds  to  have  him  back  again." 

White  Wolf,  noticing  her  weeping,  asked  in 
his  own  language  why  the  little  squaw  was  feel- 
ing so  badly.  Joe  told  him  how  she  loved 
Ginger  and  how  sorry  she  was  she  had  ever  con- 
sented to  give  him  up. 

White  Wolf  then  said :  "  Tell  her  she  shall  have 
her  pony  again.  I  am  a  chief  and  do  not  like 
to  see  the  white  squaws  cry."  He  dismounted 
from  his  animal,  and  going  up  to  Kate,  took  Gin- 
ger's foretop  in  his  hand ;  then  taking  hers,  he 
pressed  into  it  the  bunch  of  hair. 

Ginger  neighed  when  the  rude  ceremony  of 
returning  him  to  his  former  mistress  was  over, 
seeming  to  understand  just  wrhat  had  been 
effected. 

Kate  took  the  chief  by  the  hand  and  thanked 
him  as  earnestly  as  she  could  find  language  to 
express  herself,  which,  of  course,  had  to  be  inter- 
preted by  Joe. 

Then   Rob   brought  from  the  stable  the  five 


294  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

other  ponies  that  had  been  given  for  Ginger,  and 
after  a  few  more  parting  salutations  the  Pawnees 
rode  down  the  trail. 

Ginger  was  restored  to  his  stall  in  the  stable, 
and  Kate  was  the  happiest  girl  in  the  settlement 
that  day. 


CHAPTER   XX 

CONCLUSION 

RETROSPECTIVE  —  THE  OLD  TRAPPER  PASSES  AWAY  —  MR.  AND 
MRS.  THOMPSON  ARE  DEAD  —  GENERAL  CUSTER  AND  COLONEL 
KEOGH  ARE  KILLED — ERROLSTRATH  BELONGS  TO  JOE  AND 
ROB 

TWENTY-NINE  years  have  elapsed  since  the 
events  related  in  this  story.  The  Indians,  buf- 
falo, and  antelope  have  all  disappeared.  There 
is  no  longer  any  frontier.  Granite  monuments 
mark  the  dividing  line  between  great  states. 
The  children  of  this  generation  will  never  know 
by  experience  the  hardships,  the  perils,  and  the 
amusements  which  so  conspicuously  character- 
ized the  life  of  Joe,  Rob,  Gertrude,  and  Kate  at 
Errolstrath. 

General  Custer,  Colonel  Keogh,  and  nearly  all 
of  the  famous  cavalry  regiment  commanded  by 
the  great  Indian  fighter  went  down  to  their 

death  in  the  awful  massacre  at  the  battle  of  the 

295 


296  THE   RANCHE  ON  THE  OXHIDE 

Little  Bighorn,  or  Rosebud,  as  it  is  sometimes 
called. 

The  old  trapper,  Mr.  Tucker,  who  was  such  a 
warm  friend  of  the  family,  has  long  since  passed 
away.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  are  buried  in 
the  quiet  cemetery  on  the  hill,  near  the  ranche. 
Kate  and  her  sister  have  been  married  for  many 
years  and  still  live  in  Kansas,  but  not  at  the  dear 
old  home.  Errolstrath  belongs  to  Joe  and  Rob. 
It  is  now  a  large  ranche,  comprising  many  thou- 
sand acres.  Where  the  buffalo  and  the  antelope 
used  to  roam  in  such  vast  herds  are  to  be  seen, 
peacefully  grazing,  hundreds  of  mild-eyed  Jerseys 
and  the  broad-backed  Durhams.  A  new  house 
with  all  modern  improvements  has  been  erected 
on  the  site  of  the  old  one.  On  its  broad  ve- 
randa may  be  seen  every  evening  in  summer  the 
children  of  the  two  brothers,  to  whom,  as  the 
shadows  lengthen,  they  tell  of  their  own  early 
experiences  when  they  too  were  children  and 
when  the  ranche  was  far  out  in  the  wilderness  of 
the  great  central  plains. 

The  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive  may  be 
heard  at  the  ranche  as  the  palace  trains  with  their 
load  of  living  freight  dash  along  the  bank  of  the 


CONCLUSION  297 

Smoky  Hill,  toward  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Ellsworth  has  grown  to  be  a  beautiful  town  with 
electric  lights  and  all  the  appliances  of  our  won- 
derful nineteenth  century  civilization. 

The  moon  shines  as  brightly  and  the  birds 
sing  as  sweetly  as  of  yore  around  Errolstrath,  but 
of  all  the  familiar  faces  that  knew  it  so  many 
years  ago,  only  those  of  Joe  and  Rob  may  be 
seen.  Even  they  are  bearded,  their  hair  is 
slightly  mixed  with  gray.  They  are  growing 
old;  but  the  laughter  of  their  merry  children 
serves  to  keep  green  the  memory  of  their  own 
happy  childhood. 


